Republicans Are Coming for Your Medical Coverage

Currently moving through Congress is the Republican budget bill for next year, what Trump calls his “big, beautiful bill.” The legislation is truly monstrous and covers many things, including a provision making it nearly impossible for courts to enforce contempt penalties against parties who violate their orders. But its most direct effect on millions of Americans will be the severe cuts it makes in Medicaid over the coming years. 

Republicans have gone to great lengths to conceal the harm their bill would inflict. They have scheduled some procedural votes for late in the night, when fewer reporters are around. They call their cuts by any word other than what they actually are – preferring to talk about “protections” that would “strengthen” Medicaid, and eliminating “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Speaker Johnson has even claimed there is a “moral component” to the bill, because it creates a work requirement. Trump has emphasized his opposition to even deeper cuts to Medicaid, while glossing over the draconian nature of the cuts he supports. He has also said he opposes any cuts to Medicare, but the current version of his bill would trigger cuts to that program of $500 billion.  

Medicaid provides affordable health coverage to the poor, including children and the elderly, and to some people with disabilities. It also covers eligible higher-income people needing long-term care whose assets have been depleted by medical costs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the legislation could result in the loss of Medicaid coverage for some 7.6 million Americans. This is almost one in ten of those currently covered. Other Americans, while remaining on the rolls, could see the extent of their coverage shrink.

The cuts would slash prenatal, birth, and postpartum care. Currently, Medicaid covers 40% of births in the United States, fostering the health of millions of babies and their mothers. 

The cuts would also be harsh for those receiving long-term care. In recent years, over 70% of Americans receiving such care were covered by Medicaid, which covers about 60% of the costs of nursing home care in the United States. 

Medicaid, like Medicare, Obamacare, and Social Security, is a program designed by Democrats, enacted by Democratic majorities in Congress, and signed into law by a Democratic President. It was established in 1965 as part of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society program and expanded in 2010 as part of Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Over the years, it has provided millions of Americans with a longer, healthier life. Republicans have repeatedly sought to reduce its scope, while Democrats have consistently sought to broaden its coverage. The current legislation is by far the Republicans’ most destructive assault on the program. 

The budget bill’s requirement that Medicaid recipients of working age get a job in order to qualify for coverage has failed to achieve its ostensible goal when adopted by states in the past. In these cases, thousands of Medicaid recipients who were in fact working were kicked off their benefits because of problems in getting the necessary paperwork produced and filed with the authorities. Employment rates did not increase, moreover, because over 90% of Medicaid recipients who are of working age are already working, are disabled or attending school, or are full time caregivers. 

The purpose of these Medicaid cuts is clear from the other provisions in the budget bill: to fund huge tax cuts for wealthy individuals and large corporations. One commentator has called it the “largest upward transfer of wealth in American history.” Thus the budget does indeed have a moral component, but one that cuts sharply against rather than for its passage. 

What can you do? Don’t be quiet.

Contact any Republican official whose constituent you are and express your opposition to these cruel Medicaid cuts. Send letters or comments to the editor of any media you regularly read, listen to, or watch. Spread the word among your friends. Plan to spend time this fall helping elect Democrats to office in Virginia and spend time next year electing Democrats to Congress.