Medicaid Is a Middle-Class Benefit. Here’s What to Know. – The New York Times

“I didn't think Medicaid would be a problem for my family, but I have it.”

This was the first line of a memo I received this week from a retired investment industry veteran whose son, who has autism, received coverage from the program. A similar email came from one of California's wealthiest towns.

Yes, Medicaid mainly serves Americans with the lowest incomes, and you cannot count yourself among them.

However, this program could potentially be on the chopping block. It's a good time to consider others who are eligible as Congressional Republicans are trying to compensate for their spending cuts of up to $2 trillion.

It could be an aging parent who needs nursing home care, where important nest eggs have been drained after 20 years of retirement. Or maybe it's a 26-year-old adult child who can't cover it with your health insurance anymore but hasn't made much money yet. Or it's a child with a severely disabled.

Millions of people who are now financially comfortable may be just one bad break as they need Medicaid for themselves and for their family members. Without reporting, the cost of care for an aging parent or a child with an illness or disorder could be of any age.

Medicaid is a shield against anxiety towards the luckyest of us. If your family could face a big bill from a situation that continues, Medicaid policy debate will also affect you.