As lawmakers debate spending bill, local cancer patient warns of Medicaid cuts

CHARLOTTE — As Congress debates the language of President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, a local cancer patient is warning any cuts to Medicaid could be a matter of life and death.

ALSO READ: Senate struggle over Medicaid cuts threatens progress on Trump's big bill

Salisbury resident DeAnna Brandon is battling multiple myeloma and spoke to Channel 9 as she was receiving an IVIG infusion to boost her immune system. When she was first diagnosed with this cancer, she relied on charity care from the hospital. But the hospital wouldn’t cover her stem cell treatment.

After Medicaid expansion in North Carolina went into effect in December 2023, she was able to get this important treatment.

“I was starting to lose hope,” she said. “I have grown children, I have young grandchildren. I just thought I wasn’t going to be there for them anymore.”

Brandon is now in remission but depends on Medicaid expansion to cover her maintenance chemo. She’s watching D.C. closely as lawmakers consider the spending bill-- praying Medicaid isn’t on the chopping block

“Sicknesses would get worse, mental health would get worse and that would snowball into a lot of other problems,” she said.

The language of the final bill remains unclear. Sen. Thom Tillis has warned his colleagues about Medicaid cuts. He told CNN today he’s pushing for answers on how the spending bill will impact the state.

“If retooling means I can get answers to what I consider to be fundamental questions, I’m open to it,” Tillis said. “But if retooling means I’m still not going to get the answers I need to understand the impact on the state, I’m opposed to it.”

More than 650,000 people in North Carolina rely on Medicaid expansion.

North Carolina has a trigger law, meaning if Congress stops funding Medicaid expansion at any level less than 90%, North Carolina loses the coverage.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network says there are an estimated 3,195,240 Medicaid enrollees in North Carolina and among them, it is estimated that 82,730 have a history of cancer and likely need ongoing monitoring, treatment and screening.

2023 VIDEO: 600K-plus expected to qualify for Medicaid in NC with Friday expansion