Seniors all over the US , many of whom were middle class, worked all their lives but have spent down their retirement, will lose their federal safety net in Medicaid if the ACA is defeated by the Republican Senate, October 1.

 For  the second time Senator John McCain a war hero and now brain cancer patient, who wants to the Senate to follow the rules of order, and Susan Collins a compassionate Republican ,along with Dr. Rand Paul ,a Republican who thinks the bill is not severe enough, may save seniors from losing nursing home coverage with Medicaid once again.

The New York Times reported in a June attempt to gut the ACA New York Times  that this includes middle and upper-class seniors who have used all their savings because they have no choice but to remain in a nursing home.  The June New York Times story covers  Alice Jacobs, 90, who once owned a factory and horses. She has raised four children and buried two husbands.

But years in an assisted living center drained her savings, and now she relies on Medicaid to pay for her care at Dogwood Village, a nonprofit, county-owned nursing home here.

“You think you’ve got enough money to last all your life, and here I am,” Ms. Jacobs said.

Medicaid pays for most of the 1.4 million people in skilled nursing homes, like Ms. Jacobs. It covers 20 percent of all Americans and 40 percent of poor adults.

But little has been said about what would happen to older Americans in nursing homes if the cuts took effect.

I am on the board of the Health Projects Center in Santa Cruz County California who oversees the care of these Medicaid seniors.If the ACA became Trumpcare what would happen in all states is if the ACA is gutted on October 1. The program would be block granted .In California, very progressive state most likely seniors would still be protected in skilled nursing. But in red states block granting would mean millions of seniors and younger people would lose Medicaid coverage

We will have to wait until the final vote in 4 days but if you feel strongly that that senior being dumped from nursing homes  is a social catastrophe, contact your senator or congressman