More than 8 million Americans will lose their health insurance under a new Republican bill that guts Medicaid, according to a new estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. Republicans are already denying the numbers — but they haven’t offered their own.
This sweeping legislation is part of what Donald Trump proudly calls a “big, beautiful bill.” It slashes health care and food assistance to help pay for $5 trillion in tax cuts, most of which benefit wealthy Americans and corporations.
To cover the cost, the bill would cut $715 billion from Medicaid — the program that helps low-income families, people with disabilities, and seniors afford care.
It hits unemployed adults especially hard. Anyone without kids or disabilities would have to prove they’re working, volunteering, or in school for at least 80 hours a month just to keep their health care. If they miss the mark or fail to file paperwork on time, they lose coverage. And instead of checking eligibility once a year, the bill forces people to prove it twice a year — increasing the chance they’ll be kicked off the program.
“When so many Americans who are truly in need rely on Medicaid for life-saving services, Washington can’t afford to undermine the program further by subsidizing capable adults who choose not to work,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), who authored the bill.
The Congressional Budget Office projects that 8.6 million more Americans would be uninsured within a decade under this plan. Republicans say the CBO is wrong but haven’t shown any data to back that up.
Democrats aren’t buying it. “This bill confirms what we’ve been saying all along,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.). “Trump and Republicans have been lying when they claim they aren’t going to cut Medicaid and take away people’s health care.”
He called the bill a giveaway to the wealthy: “Republicans finally released the bill they’ve been drafting behind closed doors for months to make catastrophic cuts to Americans’ health care all so they can give tax breaks to billionaires and corporate interests.”
Some hardline Republicans are actually upset the cuts don’t go far enough. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) slammed the bill for not cutting even more money from states that expanded Medicaid. “I sure hope House & Senate leadership are coming up with a backup plan,” Roy posted online, “because I’m not here to rack up an additional $20 trillion in debt over 10 years or to subsidize healthy, able-bodied adults, corrupt blue states, and monopoly hospital ceos.”
The bill also tightens rules on how states can fund their Medicaid programs. It restricts a method states use to tax hospitals and nursing homes to bring in federal money, a move that could hit care facilities hard.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is trying to strike a balance between the far right, who want deeper cuts, and moderate Republicans who are worried about the political blowback.
Even Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is warning his own party to be careful. “Republicans need to open their eyes: Our voters support social insurance programs,” he wrote in a New York Times op-ed. “More than that, our voters depend on those programs.”
But the damage may already be done. The numbers are clear: this so-called “reform” is a monster of a bill — and millions will pay the price.
