The One Big Beautiful Bill Act contains changes to Medicaid that Republicans say will reduce fraud, waste, and abuse, making the program more sustainable for the future.
Democrats, however, have objected to the potential loss of coverage by several million enrollees, as forecast by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the potential financial impact on small rural hospitals.
Both parties agree that Medicaid is a vital part of the country’s social safety net, providing health coverage for more than 72 million people, many of whom are children from low-income families, and elderly, or disabled people.
Yet the program costs more than $900 billion a year, more than two-thirds of which is paid by the federal government. And the cost has grown rapidly—more than 130 percent in 10 years....
