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All Eyes on the Federal Fight for Medicaid
Amid disagreements among Republicans around what is too far, or not far enough in cuts to Medicaid and other safety net programs, the House Budget Reconciliation Bill is being pushed through various steps towards final approval. House Budget Committee Republicans advanced draft text for a reconciliation bill late Sunday May 18th. The 1,116 page bill was taken up again in the House Rules Committee, at 1 am on Wednesday, but here it faced more contention with House Freedom Caucus members calling for Medicaid work requirements to kick in sooner, clean energy subsidies to be eliminated, and a reduction to the federal share of some Medicaid costs. The rules committee is still debating the package and this afternoon Speaker Johnson and President Trump met with members of the House Freedom Caucus to try to reach agreement and stay on schedule.
Speaker Johnson has voiced a plan to hold a full floor vote before dismissal for the Memorial Day Recess and is not sure yet if that will be tonight or tomorrow morning. Live updates are being reported on Politico here. On this timeline, the Senate would likely vote on their reconciliation bill in mid-June, with the House and Senate working out any differences, if needed, in June-July.
The marked-up, advancing, budget includes proposed cuts that would be the steepest cuts in Medicaid history--$715 billion over the next 10 years. Most of these cuts are through work and reporting requirement, repealing the Biden Administration’s rule simplifying Medicaid eligibility and renewal processes, and establishing a moratorium on new or increased provider taxes. Read more about the details and impact here.
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Caring Across Generations has a tool that caregivers can use to record and submit stories about the ways that they use Medicaid (examples include adult day care, payment for home care hours—including to family caregivers).
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