MLK Day is often remembered through the soaring language of dreams and freedom. Less often, we talk about how clearly Dr. King named health equity as a civil rights issue. In 1966, speaking in Chicago, Dr. King warned that injustice in health is not abstract, it is deadly. He said: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman because it often results in physical death.” 

That truth still echoes today. And this month, it lands with urgency, because the policies moving through Washington are not theoretical. They determine whether older adults can keep coverage, whether caregivers can keep food on the table, and whether community supports remain strong enough to help people age with dignity and respect. 

What MLK’s health equity legacy demands of us right now 

For the Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC), honoring Dr. King’s legacy means defending the programs that function as the “floor” beneath millions of diverse older adults, caregivers, and people with disabilities, including Medicaid, SNAP, and Older Americans Act (OAA) services like home-delivered meals, caregiver supports, and community-based assistance. 

January is a pressure point with Congress working up against a January 30, 2026 funding deadline, with high-stakes decisions that shape health and human services funding priorities. At the same time, several major policy changes are already in motion, including implementation of H.R. 1 this year and the expiration of key Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced tax credits which made health coverage affordable for millions of Americans. Here is where things stand: 

Program updates: what’s changing and why it matters 

H.R. 1 Implementation is already reshaping access to basic supports by tightening rules and adding new hurdles across both SNAP and Medicaid. On SNAP, federal guidance is rolling out changes tied to eligibility and administration, with expanded work requirement policies beginning to take effect by January 2027, although some states could decide to do it earlier with early warning signs already showing like a reported participation decline after December 2025 changes in Connecticut(1).  

On Medicaid, independent policy analyses describe sweeping reductions alongside new compliance burdens, including work requirements on a set timeline: HHS is directed to issue an interim final rule by June, with states required to condition eligibility on meeting work requirements by next January. 

For diverse older adults and family caregivers, these shifts often show up as “churn,” lost benefits not because needs disappear, but because paperwork, reporting, language access barriers, and caregiving responsibilities make it harder to keep coverage and food assistance stable — which is exactly why DEC created the following resources to make the changes clear and actionable. 

DEC resources: tools for advocates, policymakers, and community partners 

DEC has created plain-language, advocacy-ready resources to help communities understand what is changing and what’s at stake: 

• Medicaid & SNAP Changes in the House Reconciliation Bill (factsheets): DEC’s factsheets explain proposed funding cuts, eligibility changes, and policy shifts, with a focus on how these changes can reduce access to food and health care, increase paperwork burdens, and widen inequities for older adults, people with disabilities, immigrants, and communities of color.  

• H.R. 1 Implementation Factsheet: DEC’s implementation guide summarizes major provisions and includes an implementation timeline to help readers track when changes take effect. It highlights the scale of projected Medicaid and SNAP reductions and the potential coverage losses over time.  

These tools are designed to support: community education, coalition advocacy, policymaker briefings, and communications that translate complex policies into impact on our older adult and caregiver communities. 

Honoring MLK in January and beyond 

Dr. King taught us that health injustice is among the most “shocking and inhuman” forms of inequality because it costs lives. So, we honor MLK’s legacy best by refusing to normalize preventable harm. By defending Medicaid, SNAP, and the OAA services that keep people nourished, cared for, and connected. By making sure policymakers hear, clearly and repeatedly, that health equity is not a slogan, it is a standard. 

The DEC will keep advocating to protect the programs that allow our communities to age with dignity and care. 

Link for DEC Medicaid Factsheet: bit.ly/Health_CareFactsheet  

Link for DEC SNAP Factsheet: bit.ly/FoodAssistanceFactsheet  

Link for DEC H.R. 1 Implementation Factsheet: bit.ly/HR1_Implementation_Factsheet