Proposed Medicaid Cuts and Their Impact on Americans
The proposed Medicaid cuts in the House Republicans’ sprawling domestic policy bill could have severe consequences on the health and well-being of millions of Americans. According to an analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, these cuts could lead to an estimated 7.6 million Americans losing their health insurance, resulting in thousands of preventable deaths.
The Study’s Findings
The study estimated that the cuts could cause nearly 2 million people to lose their primary doctor, 1.3 million people to not fill medications they need, and 380,270 women to skip a mammogram. More than 16,600 people could die as a result of losing access to or forgoing care, the researchers estimated.
The Reconciliation Bill
The reconciliation bill, which passed the House in late May and is working its way through the Senate, proposes deep cuts to federal Medicaid spending — at least $625 billion over 10 years, according to the study. “Parts of the bill that seem innocuous, that seem like they may be aimed at cutting fraud and abuse, will disenroll people who should be on Medicaid under the stated criteria,” said Dr. Rachel Werner, executive director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the analysis. “It’s not just about saving dollars and cents, it’s costing lives.”
The Impact of Medicaid Cuts
Of the Medicaid cuts included in the bill, the analysis highlighted the three that would have the largest impact on people losing health insurance: establishing work requirements, limiting states’ ability to collect taxes from Medicaid providers, and ending a Biden-era rule that streamlined Medicaid enrollment. Several smaller cuts in the bill, including penalizing states that used Medicaid funds to cover undocumented immigrants, brought the total to an estimated 7.6 million people becoming uninsured.
A Ripple Effect
The potential consequences of these Medicaid cuts go beyond the immediate loss of health insurance. Dr. Steven Woolf, a professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University, said potential preventable deaths aren’t his only concern. “There will be many Americans who develop chronic diseases that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives,” said Woolf, who was not involved with the analysis. “Someone who has signs of a stroke and doesn’t seek immediate care because they don’t have access to Medicaid will live with neurological effects for the rest of their lives.”
The Broader Consequences
Medicaid cuts would be compounded by cuts to SNAP benefits — which are also in the bill — as well as cuts to programs, funding, and staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The health consequences of this are huge,” Woolf said. The disenrollment of kids is unlikely, but when parents become disenrolled, they may mistakenly think their kids will be disenrolled. Another provision in the bill would delay a mandate requiring staffing minimums at nursing homes, which could lead to additional deaths among residents.
Conclusion
The proposed Medicaid cuts have the potential to cause widespread harm to millions of Americans, leading to thousands of preventable deaths and exacerbating existing health disparities. It is essential that policymakers consider the long-term consequences of these cuts and work to find alternative solutions that prioritize the health and well-being of all Americans.
FAQs
Q: How many people could lose their health insurance due to the proposed Medicaid cuts?
A: According to the analysis, an estimated 7.6 million Americans could lose their health insurance.
Q: What are the three Medicaid cuts that would have the largest impact on people losing health insurance?
A: The three cuts are establishing work requirements, limiting states’ ability to collect taxes from Medicaid providers, and ending a Biden-era rule that streamlined Medicaid enrollment.
Q: What are the potential consequences of the Medicaid cuts beyond the immediate loss of health insurance?
A: The potential consequences include the development of chronic diseases, increased administrative costs, and a strain on rural hospitals, which could lead to loss of care and deaths even among people with private insurance.
Q: How would the Medicaid cuts affect rural areas?
A: The cuts would strain rural hospitals, which would be left to increasingly absorb the cost of care for uninsured people who cannot pay their medical bills, potentially leading to the closure of rural health clinics and hospitals.
