Millions Could Lose Coverage as GOP Pushes Medicaid Cuts

Millions Could Lose Coverage As Gop Pushes Medicaid Cuts

So here we are again—Congress is back at it, swinging a budget axe dangerously close to the safety net millions of Americans depend on.

The latest GOP proposal, passed in the House, aims to chop more than $700 billion from Medicaid over the next decade. Yep, you read that right. Seven. Hundred. Billion. Dollars.

The cuts come with strings attached: work requirements, stricter eligibility checks, and less help for people who are already struggling. Basically, if you’re low-income, sick, or both—you’re in the crosshairs.

According to a MarketWatch breakdown, the proposed changes could leave 8.6 million people without health coverage. Most at risk? Adults who fall into that Medicaid-meets-Affordable-Care-Act coverage sweet spot. In plain English: the folks who don’t have much, but rely on these programs for literally staying alive.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro isn’t mincing words. He called the plan “devastating” and warned it could cost the state billions in federal aid and wipe out rural hospitals that are already running on fumes. AP News reports that over 3 million Pennsylvanians currently rely on Medicaid.

And if you’re thinking, “Okay, but how bad could it get?”—a study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute makes it crystal clear: taking Medicaid away, especially the Low-Income Subsidy that helps cover prescription drugs, literally raises the death rate. That’s not political spin. That’s cold, peer-reviewed research.

Rural hospitals and safety-net clinics are also sounding alarms. As CHC Impact put it, slashing Medicaid funds could force closures, especially in places where hospitals barely make rent, let alone profit.

But here’s the kicker: most Americans don’t even want these cuts. A KFF Health News poll found that 76% of adults across party lines oppose slashing Medicaid. Even CNN’s data wizard Harry Enten said the idea is, quote, “atrocious” politically. That’s some pretty rare bipartisan agreement—like pineapple on pizza levels of controversial.

And just for bonus drama, former President Trump might veto the bill if it reaches his desk. So yeah, even within the GOP, the plan’s got more friction than a Real Housewives reunion.

For now, the cuts are more proposal than law. But if this thing gains momentum, millions could be left scrambling. And for those already sick or struggling? It’s not just politics—it’s survival.