“No One Should Have to Choose Between Healthcare and Paying the Bills”: Alaska Nurse Slams Nick Begich for Gutting Health Care

In an op-ed, one Alaska mental health and hospice nurse is sounding the alarm on Begich’s cruelty, explaining that “When Alaskans cannot afford care, they delay treatment. By the time they come through our doors, a problem that could have been addressed earlier has become an emergency.”

As Alaskans grapple with Begich’s cuts, the nurse makes a simple case: “It is time for all Alaskans to stand up for a healthcare system that puts patients first and to elect leaders who will fight alongside us.”

DCCC Spokesperson Anna Elsasser:
“Alaskans are sick and tired of Nick Begich leaving them behind. From ripping away their insurance to jacking up health care costs, Begich has made it clear he has no intention of helping Alaskans receive the care they deserve. This November, Alaska families will leave Begich behind and send Bill Hill to Congress.”

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Anchorage Daily News: Opinion: No one should have to choose between healthcare and paying the bills

• I’ve been a nurse for nearly 20 years, and I still love what I do. It means a lot to me to care for people in my community when they need help the most.
• But more and more, patients are coming to me with questions I can’t answer:
• “I can’t afford my medications.”
• “I can’t afford therapy.”
• “I can’t afford healthcare. What am I supposed to do?”
• As a nurse, those are some of the hardest conversations to have. I know these patients need care. I know that care can help them. But I don’t have the power to make that care affordable.
• I work in behavioral health, both in the emergency department and in inpatient care. Every day, I see what happens when people cannot get the care they need when they need it.
• Patients go without medications or miss follow-up appointments for conditions such as diabetes and congestive heart failure. People struggling with mental illness are unable to afford therapy, medications or the ongoing support they need to stay well. Their conditions worsen until they have nowhere else to turn.
• Our emergency rooms are already overwhelmed, and it isn’t even winter.
• When Alaskans cannot afford care, they delay treatment. By the time they come through our doors, a problem that could have been addressed earlier has become an emergency.
• And I worry we are going to see much more of that.
• Alaska’s Medicaid and Denali KidCare enrollment has already dropped significantly, with federal data showing tens of thousands fewer Alaskans enrolled than at the beginning of 2025. At the same time, thousands of Alaskans who rely on Affordable Care Act marketplace plans are facing dramatically higher premiums.
• Last year, Congress made a choice. It passed a law that cuts projected federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next decade while providing trillions of dollars in tax cuts…and Rep. Nick Begich…voted for it.
• At the same time, [he didn’t support] extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits before they expired at the end of 2025, leaving many Alaskans facing insurance premiums they simply cannot afford.
• We should not have to choose between improving our healthcare system for the future and ensuring people can access healthcare today.
• Alaska needs both. The reality is that we are facing a healthcare crisis.
• When more people become uninsured, patients get sicker before seeking treatment, support programs disappear, and hospitals and clinics have fewer resources. The consequences reach everyone, including people who have good insurance.
• Our healthcare policies should make it easier for Alaskans to get care before they reach a crisis. They should strengthen the hospitals and clinics our communities depend on. They should lower costs for families. And they should ensure that nurses and other healthcare professionals have the resources necessary to care for the people who depend on us.
• It is time for all Alaskans to stand up for a healthcare system that puts patients first and to elect leaders who will fight alongside us.
• We’re sick of it. It is time to fix healthcare now.

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