Laura Lopez

Laura is a program manager with Olmsted County.

“Medical Assistance is a lifeline for our community to access needed health services. For the past 24 years, I have processed applications for Medical Assistance and payment of long-term care services in my county. I can see firsthand the impact Medical Assistance has for accessing lifesaving medications and services for people in our community. Medicaid matters!”

“The aged, blind and disabled population already has such stringent requirements to qualify for Medical Assistance, like a $3,000 asset test, so additional cuts would be even more devastating for this populations. Why is it that the same $3,000 asset test has impacted our aged, blind and disabled population since I started working with the programs 24 yrs ago? I see how cash programs allow up to $10,000 asset test, but we continue to hold our health care asset test at $3,000.” 

“Our community is concerned about cuts to their Medical Assistance. If they do not have the coverage, they will not get the medications they need and go to the preventative appointments needed to manage chronic conditions. If there are cuts, we will return to a society reacting to more intense situations as things turn into crisis, rather than preventing these situations. Not having access to medications and deciding how to pay for services causes more harm to our community than sharing the needed coverage with our most vulnerable.”