Trump’s “big beautiful bill” will remain in millions without health insurance

Senate Republican Tuesday passed President Donald Trump’s vast tax and spending package, known as “One Big Beautiful Bill,” paving the way for a massive overhaul of the country’s Medicaid program. Millions of people lose their health insurance if they lose their homes that could occur before the July 4th holiday.

The number of people without health insurance in the US has almost halved between 2013 and 2023, down from about 14% Record lows below 8%It is mainly driven by expanding compensation under the Affordable Care Act. The rate has been relatively stable over the past few years. Approximately 26 million people in the US Currently, no health insurance.

But the Republican budget bill passing through Congress will likely spike those numbers and add millions of people to the uninsured role. a Reviews from the end of June It is estimated that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has cut nearly $1 trillion from the Medicaid program and coverage for around 12 million Americans by 2034 under the Senate version of the bill. (The law may undergo last minute changes before passing.)

“A reduction in federal healthcare costs of this magnitude is likely to impact hospitals, potentially firing staff, providing less services, or leading to a full close proximity. In addition, 12 million people are projected to lose health insurance, so many will provide the care they need.

White House Say the cut It helps to “eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in government programs and protect and protect them for those who rely on them the most.”

One way the bill can limit access to compensation is to impose work requirements to register with Medicaid. There were no federal work requirements for people to receive Medicaid benefits – only valuing people’s income and disability status – the majority of the program is already working or looking for a job.

Under the bill, adults must work or volunteer 80 hours a month to qualify for registration. Disabled and pregnant individuals are eligible for exemptions, and the version passed in the Senate allows parents with children under the age of 14 to apply for exemptions. The house version would have allowed all parents of dependent children to do so.

Deborah Greenhouse, a South Carolina pediatrician and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, is worried about parents navigating the new exemption system. “This bill will be devastating for Medicaid children,” she says. A bureaucratic deficit can be imposed on those eligible for the exemption, and some parents may not be able to meet the requirements of their work if they have older children with special needs.