With anticipated Medicaid reform on the horizon in 2025, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) launched a proactive advocacy campaign to protect access to vital services for individuals living with neuromuscular diseases. Proposed reforms would have life-altering impacts, as funding cuts and policy shifts such as stricter eligibility, reduced home and community-based services, and weakened oversight would disproportionately harm people with disabilities.
MDA’s objective was to: create a compelling, nonpartisan campaign to educate the public and policymakers on the essential role Medicaid plays in the lives of millions, especially those in the neuromuscular community. To achieve this, the campaign sought to humanize the issue with real stories, raise awareness about the consequences of proposed reforms, and activate advocates nationwide.
In partnership with Strategic Elements, the campaign needed to communicate effectively with all audiences to ensure key decision makers understood the risk of cutting Medicaid. We set out to share emotionally resonant storytelling, data-driven messaging, and targeted outreach to mobilize grassroots support. Ultimately, our goal was to protect and preserve access to the care, therapies, and services that empower individuals with disabilities to live independently, participate in their communities, and maintain quality of life.
This campaign is not only a defense of a government program it will ensure the dignity, independence, and the rights of people with disabilities to receive the care they need to live.
Part one of this campaign was to educate the public and policymakers on the importance of Medicaid for those living with neuromuscular diseases. Assets were developed to explain the complexity of Medicaid and negative reform. To do this we humanized the issue for policy makers by using MDA advocates to tell their story.
In Phase Two, we turned awareness into action.
Despite challenges such as political polarization and misinformation in ad comments, we successfully maintained message integrity and audience trust through consistent moderation and fact-based rebuttals.
The Medicaid advocacy campaign has concluded but delivered impactful results through digital engagement and grassroots activation. The goal was to raise awareness of the real-world consequences of Medicaid reform and drive action, and it has delivered measurable success.
To date, grassroots advocates have sent more than 13,000 messages to Capitol Hill communicating the impact of the proposed bill. Facebook ad flights targeting key House and Senate districts generated over 1.5 million impressions, with engagement rates consistently exceeding 9%—far above the healthcare industry average of 0.9%. These ads drove more than 152,000 total engagements and 71,000 action center clicks, empowering supporters to directly email Members of Congress. Testimonial videos, particularly from advocates Shelly and Bryce, resonated deeply and underscored the power of authentic storytelling to humanize policy.
YouTube flights further extended reach. The first delivered 44,000 impressions, 28,000+ thirty-second-plus views, and a 65% action rate. The second generated nearly 16,000 impressions, 3,200 long views, and a 20% action rate. MDA’s podcast and digital radio ads added more than 100,000 impressions, 88,000 completed listens, and an 87% action rate above the 80% industry average.
Earned media amplified the message through at least seven published op-eds and LTEs authored by advocates in outlets such as The Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun, and Ohio Capital Journal, with a collective reach of 25 million. The Maine Medical Association even adopted campaign messaging in direct communication with Sen. Collins.
While the final legislation included reductions to Medicaid, larger proposed cuts were prevented, leaving essential services intact thanks to the dedication of advocates and partners.
