Senate megabill would leave nearly 12 million more people uninsured, CBO says

The Senate version of President Donald Trump’s agenda bill would leave 11.8 million more people without health insurance in 2034, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released today.

That’s more than the 10.9 million more people projected to be left uninsured by the House-passed version of the bill.

Both chambers are calling for historic spending cuts to Medicaid, which provides coverage to more than 71 million low-income Americans, including children, senior citizens, people with disabilities and other adults. The package would also enact changes to the Affordable Care Act that are projected to reduce enrollment in the landmark health reform law that Trump and Republicans have long sought to dismantle.

Both chambers are calling for historic spending cuts to Medicaid, which provides coverage to more than 71 million low-income Americans, including children, senior citizens, people with disabilities and other adults. The package would also enact changes to the Affordable Care Act that are projected to reduce enrollment in the landmark health reform law that Trump and Republicans have long sought to dismantle.

But the Senate version calls for even deeper cuts to the Medicaid, leading to the larger estimate.

It would slash federal support for Medicaid by $930 billion over a decade, Sen. Ron Wyden, the ranking member on Senate Finance Committee, said yesterday, citing a CBO estimate. The House version is projected to reduce federal spending on the program by about $800 billion, according to CBO.

Both chambers would require certain able-bodied adults ages 19-64 to work to maintain their Medicaid benefits for the first time in the program’s 60-year history. But the Senate version would impose the work requirement on parents of children ages 14 and older, while the House version would exempt parents of dependent children.

The Senate version would also lower the cap on the taxes that states levy on providers to help fund the program and increase reimbursement rates for providers. However, that provision would only apply to the 40 states and the District of Columbia that have expanded Medicaid to low-income adults. The House bill would put a moratorium on the states’ existing provider taxes

Related Posts

RANO AIR LOOSES ENGINE AFTER TAKE OFF

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a Rano Air aircraft with registration number 5N-BZY following an in-flight engine failure dur...