For Bobby Faithful V and Brandon Jerrod, the fight for survival is not just medical—it’s political. Both are Black, disabled, and in need of heart transplants. But their access to care is slipping away under new federal policies that slash Medicaid funding and impose harsh eligibility requirements.
Faithful V, a Silver Spring resident, lives on a $1,400 disability check and battles multiple life-threatening conditions. “I’m technically homeless with a mailing address,” he says. After finally securing Medicaid, he underwent emergency surgery. But the day after a Medicaid-approved bariatric procedure, his coverage was dropped.
Jerrod, in Houston, lost their insurance after losing their job. “This is terrifying,” they say. “I’m looking at a government that’s looking me in the face and they’re saying ‘your life does not matter.’” Without coverage, they can’t afford medications that cost up to \$875 a month.
The Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will cut \$1.02 trillion from Medicaid and CHIP, threatening coverage for 16 million Americans by 2034. Black Americans, who disproportionately rely on Medicaid, are especially vulnerable. According to the NAACP, 32% of the Black population depends on the program.
Dr. Anthony Watkins, whose transplant equity research was defunded, warns these changes will “exacerbate underlying issues.” Faithful V adds, “The road to transplant is not meant for everyone to make it. It feels like the Hunger Games.”
See: “The Cruelest Kind of Heartbreak” (September 30, 2025)
