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A new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates a staggering 16 million people would lose health insurance under the House-passed budget reconciliation bill. This includes nearly 11 million Americans who would lose Medicaid and five million who would lose access to Affordable Care Act (ACA) policies. For context, under the failed House and Senate 2017 ACA repeal bills, 23 and 16 million people would have become uninsured, respectively. Then, as now, such losses would be catastrophic.
The CBO finds the bill would reduce federal health care spending by over $1 trillion. Medicaid would bear the brunt of the cuts ($864 billion), with harmful work requirements alone accounting for $344 billion. It would also slash SNAP by $267 billion, causing millions to lose the food assistance they need to afford groceries and meet other basic needs. For both programs, the outlined cuts would be the largest in history.
CBO is likely overstating these savings, as the analysis does not contemplate the reverberations of becoming uninsured.
Notably, CBO is likely overstating these savings, as the analysis does not contemplate the reverberations of becoming uninsured. Lack of affordable care has long been linked to worse outcomes and higher costs, for individuals and the system. Without insurance, people may delay or skip care due to cost barriers, exacerbating their conditions. Some may be unable to maintain their health from day-to-day and lose their jobs as a result. When people do finally seek care, it will be more costly than it would have been otherwise: they’ll have higher health needs and often nowhere to turn but emergency rooms.
Despite the unprecedented scale of the House bill’s cuts to health care and food assistance, it would still raise the deficit by at least $3 trillion due to significant tax breaks that disproportionately favor high-income earners.
For [Americans who make the least amount of money], its tax changes would not outweigh its cuts; their household resources would decrease by 4%.
As with previous analysis, CBO again finds that Americans who make the least amount of money would be worse off under the House bill. For these individuals and families, its tax changes would not outweigh its cuts; their household resources would decrease by 4%. Americans who make the most, however, would see their finances increase by that same share—4%—due to windfalls in lower taxes. Independent experts at the Economic Policy Institute note another “striking symmetry” around the legislation’s resource transfer: “If the bill becomes law, the annual cuts to Medicaid would average over $70 billion in coming years—the same amount millionaires and billionaires would gain in tax cuts each year.”
This would translate to wildly uneven impacts for American taxpayers. A separate review of the House bill found that people in the top 20% of income brackets “would see an average tax cut of $12,660 next year” while “those in the lowest bracket, who earn less than about $35,000, would get a tax cut of $160.” But this is only part of the picture. Taking the program cuts into consideration, modeling indicates “the lowest-income Americans…would see their incomes fall by $820, on average, next year…a drop of 14.6%, on average.”
Cutting Medicaid and SNAP won’t make people healthier. It will only cause them to lose access to things that help them build and maintain their health, like preventive and primary care, prescription drugs, affordable food, and treatments for chronic conditions. Proponents of the bill claim these changes are necessary to pay for tax cuts, which they say will benefit Americans broadly and counter losses to health coverage and food assistance. But independent experts and the CBO disagree. By also worsening the deficit, the House bill would create an unsustainable fiscal environment, making these program cuts difficult to restore.
By also worsening the deficit, the House bill would create an unsustainable fiscal environment, making these program cuts difficult to restore.
The Senate is currently discussing next steps, with the goal of passing a bill this month. Recent reports indicate they may be considering even deeper cuts to health care programs, including Medicare. Your senators need to hear that you oppose the House-passed bill and any rollbacks to programs on which older adults and people with disabilities rely. Contact them today!
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12 Comments on “Official House Bill Analysis Confirms Devastating Coverage Losses”
Diane Dillon
June 5, 2025 at 6:25 pmNo cuts to care!
NICOLLE WILSON
June 5, 2025 at 6:38 pmNo cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or SNAP
CHARLOTTE H. HALL
June 5, 2025 at 7:23 pmAs a former medical office manager and NC SHIIP Medicare counselor, I know the impact of Medicare and Medicaid coverage in the hospitals, physician offices and other healthcare providers in a county that has about 30% Medicaid population. Plus18%+ population over 65 and 13% disabled, many who depend on Medicare coverage. These statistics amount to over 50% of the county’s population. Lost funding for these programs could result in loss of hospital services, provider services and serious health issues for many residents.
Please review carefully the many items related to health and human services in “THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL” before the Senate at this time! Thank you!
Tamara L Baker
June 5, 2025 at 11:48 pmWithout my health care I will not be breathing please don’t do this
Gina Bosick
June 6, 2025 at 4:50 pmNo this cannot happen ! This bill will crush Americans . It’s cruel and humanity is at stake . How can this be done to so many without harming them for life ..
Linda David
June 6, 2025 at 10:33 pmNo cuts to Medicare, Medicaid,l pr SNAP.
Helene
June 7, 2025 at 10:26 amWithout Medicare savings plan,I would not be able to afford meds and doctors appointments and I would die. Please don’t cut funds I beg you
Beth Fligman
June 7, 2025 at 9:47 pmMy daughter is autistic as well as functioning. We really rely on some Medicaid programs. For a job training program. As well other programs. My daughter would be devastated with any cuts. Please please don’t cut necessary programs
Sheila
June 10, 2025 at 6:20 pmI am 71 and still working part-time, but because of health issues I hope to retire within the next year. Without Medicare and Medicaid, I won’t be able to pay my living expenses. Please don’t decrease these funds. You need to realize the damage that will be done to Americans.
Melodye R Whitaker
June 12, 2025 at 7:29 pmIt is fruitless to contact Tennessee senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. They simple don’t care about the people they represent,
Yailen
June 13, 2025 at 7:15 amAs a current worker in a Medicaid waiver this cuts will impact our participants putting them in nursy facility level of care faster due to not having access to Medicaid, losing the waivers or other significant benefits such SNAP, Medicare, SSI. Please you will put people non only at risk but the damage will be devastating because they will lose access to health assistance and this should be a universal right. For elder people, for people with disabilities, for kids with special needs these cuts will prevent them to have access to their therapies, PCP, drugs prescription…without imaging the impact on Healthcare workers.
ronald jones
June 16, 2025 at 10:54 amthis is a huge misinformation block… speak of who exactly is affected rather than saying this income group. illegals and those abusing the system that shouldnt be on it to begin with.