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Robin Blakeman, an ordained Presbyterian pastor not assigned to any particular church in the community, came to the vigil to describe the damage the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œBig Beautiful BillÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� will cause many people and children.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI know a lot of people who receive snap benefits and/or Medicaid, Medicare,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Blakeman said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI myself am 60 years old and hoping to retire, but IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m very worried about what this is going to do to Social Security and retirement age. IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m worried about the environmental impacts because this bill is essentially gutting the (Inflation Reduction Act) benefits and seemingly all the progress we have made on environmental preservation for decades, so there are many reasons I would like for Carol Miller to take recognition of this event.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

The bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last month. The bill would cut Medicaid by more than $700 billion, which is said to be the largest in the programÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s history.

The bill includes the addition of work reporting requirements. It also cut $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program through 2034.

Oliver Snow and Heather Young Snow, who attended the vigil, said they felt called on to support everyone that would be affected. However, the cuts to health care are personal.

A kidney transplant is in the near future for Heather Young Snow, who is in stage 3b kidney failure. She has polycystic kidney disease and has to take medication. The proposed budget will put Heather Young SnowÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s health care plan up in the air as the medication she will have to take after the transplant in order to not reject a new kidney is expensive.

She requires medicine and hopes to get a transplant down the road.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t know how weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll be able to make it without some sort of insurance coverage,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Heather Young Snow said.

Heather Young Snow is in the process of getting on medication that could cost $30,000 to $70,000 a month.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThere are programs where if your insurance would pay a certain amount, the company that purchases the medicine will pay the rest,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� she said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWith some of these budget proposals that can come into question and I will lose access to that medicine which will hopefully prolong me from getting more dialysis and having to have a transplant.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI potentially with this medicine could have years before I even have to worry about dialysis and (a) transplant, but I donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t know. You know, everything is kind of up in the air now, so itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s scary.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Oliver Snow said the bill will affect his access to health care as he is transgender and relies on hormones. While he has tried to ration his medicine, he said it has negatively affected him.

Kate Waldeck, a pediatrician in Huntington, said the proposed cuts would cause a strain on hospitals and many people in West Virginia who depend on Medicaid.

About 29% of people in West Virginia are on Medicaid, and in the southern parts, its closer to one-third, Waldeck said during the event. She said the childrenÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s hospital she works at is funded about 50% by Medicaid.

Waldeck said people will still come to the doctor when sick and hospitals have to treat them.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWhat happens is the insurance company, Medicaid in this case, does not pay, and the bill comes down to the people who had no choice but to come in to get lifesaving care and to the hospitals that provide it,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Waldeck said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œAnd what we know will happen is hospitals will be affected.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

The vigil was organized by Huntington NOW, PeopleÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Unity Project and Waldeck.