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CMSNE IS STARTING A NEW SERIES TO "KEEP YOU INFORMED" OF THE PROPOSED AND PENDING CHANGES IN US HEALTHCARE - OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR EDUCATION!
Medicaid Cuts Ahead: Are We Ready For the Impact of the "Big Beautiful Bill" Passed by Congress?
One of the most significant changes to US healthcare coverage lies ahead, associated with the passing of the Senate and House Bill on July 4, 2025. This Bill includes the plan to cut Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage by an estimated $1 trillion dollars in federal funding, causing beneficiaries to start losing their healthcare coverage as early as January 2026. These changes in Medicaid coverage are estimated to effect 10.5 million Americans by 2034 leaving a large, growing population of uninsured (Ziegler,2025).
The CMS rules and regulations associated with the Medicaid cuts have not yet been established, such as defining which populations are affected. We don't know, if it is the elderly, disabled patients or chronically ill children over the age of 14 or others? However, the experts are speculating based on the information currently available that the overall impact will result in delayed discharges due to less transition options, rural hospital closures resulting from decreased funding, and frequent-administrative burdensome Medicaid/CHIP reenrollment requirements to name a few (Dow,2025)!
Thoughts on What the Medicaid Cuts Will Mean to Case Managers and Social Workers.
To case managers, this initial information translates into larger numbers of uninsured, more complex patients to care for and fewer resources available to ensure a safe, quality discharge. To face this potential dilemma, case manager can stay knowledgeable of the government's new regulatory requirements, in order to start identifying proactive case management measures directed at establishing alternative discharge options for these complex uninsured patients and their families.
Case managers and Social Workers can start tapping into the current programs that care for the underserved, staying aware that the government may have reduced their funding too. Our communities may need to help us, by expanding existing programs for the indigent or establishing new ones. Groups that serve these patients, such as religious groups, charity care organization and food kitchens must get ready with us. Encouraging them to seek new sources for donations and other supports is another critical initiative.
We are all in this together and the CMSNE strives to keep you informed and knowledgeable with our continuing education programs, in an effort to help assist you to achieve the safest, quality of case management plans possible. Look out for frequent CMSNE "Keeping You Informed" with updates on the status of healthcare and how it effects your care delivery.
Respectfully,
June Stark, RN, BSN, MEd
President, CMSNE
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