With just days to go before Donald Trump assumes the Presidency, Republican lawmakers are already discussing big spending cuts. Among those are typical Republican efforts and they include Medicaid.
The Lowdown
Republican efforts to slash Medicaid funding are returning once more. According to reports, Republicans are floating two key changes to Medicaid that threaten to push millions (some reports have at as high as tens of millions) of people off of their insurance.
The changes:
- Equalize Medicaid Payments for Able Bodied Adults.
This is Republican speak for ending the Medicaid expansion that was put into a place a few years ago. The change led to the federal government providing states with access to extra cash as long as they kept those at or below a certain federal income level insured. This threatens to boot millions from their insurance alone.
2. Per capita caps
Republicans want to end the federal government’s general funding guideline that it continues to spend whatever is required to insure everyone who is eligible is covered.
3. Block grants
Under proposals being floated, Republicans would seek to change the system to where states would get a pre-determined allotment of funds rather than a blank supply of funds like before.
Any changes to Medicaid as those proposed above is almost certain to be met with universal Democratic opposition. Republicans hold a very slim majority.