CBO: 10 Million Would Lose Medicaid Coverage Under Republican Bill

 

Republicans are anxious for the low- income and disabled to make any sacrifice necessary to give tax cuts to billionaire oligarchs:

The Medicaid portion of the House GOP’s massive domestic policy bill would result in 10.3 million people losing Medicaid coverage by 2034 and 7.6 million people going uninsured, according to a partial (CBO) Congressional Budget Office estimate. 

Republicans released the estimates just ahead of the start of Tuesday’s markup of the Energy and Commerce portion of the party-line legislation, which is key to enacting President Trump’s agenda. 

The uninsured numbers include 1.4 million people without verified citizenship who would be removed from the program and 4.8 million people who would lose coverage because of work requirements, the committee said. 

All told, the Medicaid portions of the GOP proposal would save $625 billion over a 10-year period. The panel is tasked with finding at least $880 billion in savings, and CBO said they were on track to exceed that amount.  (Ed.:  gotta pay for those tax cuts for Musk, Zuck, and Bezos!]

The biggest savings in the bill would come from the federal work requirements, which would account for about $301 billion over seven years. The provision would require childless adults aged 19-64 years old to prove they work, go to school or volunteer for 80 hours a month.  

Experts say most Medicaid beneficiaries are working, and work requirements force enrollees to complete burdensome paperwork requirements. According to a CBO analysis of a 2023 Republican bill, work requirements had no impact on the employment status or hours worked by Medicaid recipients...  (our emphasis)

Again, whether the numbers are pulled out of some DOGE-cat's ass or whether this comes out of the legislative process intact or not, it nevertheless underlines the values and priorities of the Republican/ MAGAt cult.  Those values, of course, begin and end with putting money into the pockets of the wealthy that they've taken from low- and middle- income people. Back in Ronnie Ray-gun's day they called it "trickle down economics," but today it can just be labeled plainly for what it is: "unconscionable and immoral."

(Photo:  Leigh Vogel / Getty Images for Caring Across Generations)

 

Republicans Propose Billions In Medicaid Cuts To Fund Billionaire Tax Cuts

 

House Republicans' dodgy-DOGE-like "cost-saving" cuts to Medicaid, tossed over the transom late last night, verify what's been seen in various reports over the last few months. It's the classic Republican MAGAt reverse Robin Hood wet dream of afflicting the afflicted and comforting the comfortable. The money taken from Medicaid and the millions of Americans dependent on it would go to help fund the Malignant Fascist's tax cuts for billionaires:

House Republicans unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s “ big, beautiful bill ” late Sunday, at least $880 billion in cuts largely to Medicaid to help cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax breaks.

Tallying hundreds of pages, the legislation is touching off the biggest political fight over health care since Republicans tried to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump’s first term in 2017 — which ended in failure.

While Republicans insist they are simply rooting out “waste, fraud and abuse” to generate savings with new work and eligibility requirements, Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage. A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade. [snip]

“In no uncertain terms, millions of Americans will lose their health care coverage,” said Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the panel. He said “hospitals will close, seniors will not be able to access the care they need, and premiums will rise for millions of people if this bill passes.”

As Republicans race toward House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Memorial Day deadline to pass Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, they are preparing to flood the zone with round-the-clock public hearings this week on various sections before they are stitched together in what will become a massive package.  [snip]

Central to the savings are changes to Medicaid, which provides almost free health care to more than 70 million Americans, and the Affordable Care Act, which has expanded in the 15 years since it was first approved to cover millions more.

To be eligible for Medicaid, there would be new “community engagement requirements” of at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service for able-bodied adults without dependents. People would also have to verify their eligibility to be in the program twice a year, rather than just once.

This is likely to lead to more churn in the program and present hurdles for people to stay covered, especially if they have to drive far to a local benefits office to verify their income in person. But Republicans say it’ll ensure that the program is administered to those who qualify for it.

Many states have expanded their Medicaid rosters thanks to federal incentives, but the legislation would cut a 5% boost that was put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal funding to the states for immigrants who have not shown proof of citizenship would be prohibited.  (our emphasis)

While they're at it, the MAGAts are also going for clean energy and climate change rollbacks:

The energy portions of the legislation run far fewer pages, but include rollbacks of climate-change strategies President Joe Biden signed into law in the Inflation Reduction Act.

It proposes rescinding funds for a range of energy loans and investment programs while providing expedited permitting for natural gas development and oil pipelines...

Whether or not this proposed legislation passes, it exposes the values of the Republican Party/ cult of the Malignant Fascist:  there are some worth protecting and helping prosper, and many others who deserve as much pain as their government can deliver.  

BONUS:  The proposed cuts would disproportionately affect red states.