‘It’s a nightmare.’ Former refugee, professor on Trump’s new Medicaid policy

Mohammad Attaie and his wife Deena, recent arrivals from Afghanistan, received help from medical translator Jahannaz Afshar to schedule a doctor’s appointment at the Valley Health Center TB/Refugee Program in San Jose, California. Meanwhile, Mustafa Rfat, a professor of social work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, has been receiving urgent calls from refugees with disabilities who are losing Medicaid access due to H.R. 1, a budget bill passed by the Trump administration. Rfat, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Iraq in 2011, relied on Medicaid to manage his severe spinal condition and navigate life in America. He emphasizes the critical role Medicaid played in his journey to becoming a U.S. citizen and a professor. Now, he is working to support other refugees facing similar challenges without Medicaid’s support. QUESTION: How might the loss of Medicaid impact the future opportunities and well-being of refugees with disabilities in the U.S.?