USA: States most impacted by a Medicaid expansion cut

As many as 20 million Americans could lose Medicaid coverage over the course of 10 years thanks to Republican proposals to cut the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion match rate, according to a recent analysis.

The most affected states in that estimate include Oregon, Virginia, Louisiana, and Nevada, a report from policy group KFF said. While other “red states” such as Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Montana were also all projected to see at least a 30 percent drop in the number of people covered in the state.

The findings come as Republicans have worked to defend their efforts to shrink the Affordable Care Act, aiming to provide billions of dollars for tax cuts and border security. President Donald Trump had previously said he would not touch Medicaid, but has endorsed the House Republican budget that targets the program.

More than 72 million Americans were enrolled in Medicaid last fall. The programme, which turns 60 this summer, helps to cover costs for people with limited income and resources, offering nursing home care and other services.

"We are not interested in cutting the social and health care safety net for children, disabled, and low-income Americans," Ken Calvert, a California Republican, told Politico. "We are focused on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, as well as strengthening work requirements for able-bodied working age adults with no children.“

However, others, such as Texas Republican, Tony Gonzales, are breaking with Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson on the issue.

“There’s no doubt that there’s waste, fraud and abuse in every program in the government, including Medicaid - but at what point do you stop cutting into the fat and start cutting into the bone? You can’t pull the rug out from millions of people,” he told Politico.

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 24 February 2025