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Dr. Bobby Mukkamala’s article offers a powerful, frontline, and personal perspective on the real-world consequences of Medicaid and CHIP funding cuts. His experience as a practicing physician in Flint, Michigan, a community marked by poverty, chronic disease, and limited access to care, mirrors the challenges faced in many Arizona communities. For Maricopa County Medical Society (MCMS) members and healthcare allies, this article is a call to awareness and action.

 

It underscores the direct connection between federal policy decisions and the daily struggles of physicians and patients, particularly in underserved and rural areas. As Arizona continues to face physician workforce shortages, rising practice costs, and hospital closures, the issues Dr. Mukkamala outlines are not abstract, they are urgent and local.

 

Reading this article will remind our members and the medical community of their vital role not only as care providers but also as advocates. It emphasizes the importance of collective physician voices in shaping policy that protects access to care, supports practice sustainability, and prioritizes patient well-being. It is a sobering but inspiring reflection on why we must stay engaged in legislative conversations and support organizations like MCMS, the American Medical Association, and others who are fighting for a stronger, more equitable healthcare system.

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Desire’e Hardge, MBA

CEO and Executive Director, MCMS

Editor-in-Chief, Arizona Physician