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There’s a harsh irony about the current health care battle. Just as many people have begun to realize how politically popular Medicaid is, the program is at risk of shrinking radically — really, of ceasing to exist as we know it.

Democrats have always been a little insecure about Medicaid, which covers the poor, as well as many nonpoor elderly, disabled and special-needs children. Democrats have worried that the American public views the program as welfare rather than a deserved benefit like Medicare or Social Security. But Medicaid turns out to be quite popular, as I’ll detail in a moment.

Now Congressional Republicans are on the verge of gutting the program, which would ultimately deny medical care to millions of Americans.