GOP Poised To Cut Billions in Health Benefits

The Host

Julie Rovner
KFF Well being Information

@jrovner

@julierovner.bsky.social

Learn Julie’s tales.

Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Well being Information’ weekly well being coverage information podcast, “What the Well being?” A famous knowledgeable on well being coverage points, Julie is the writer of the critically praised reference e-book “Well being Care Politics and Coverage A to Z,” now in its third version.

In any case-night markups, two key Home committees permitted GOP finances laws that may minimize lots of of billions of {dollars} from federal well being packages over the subsequent decade, principally from the Medicaid program for folks with low incomes or disabilities. The laws is way from a achieved deal, although, with at the very least one Republican senator voicing opposition to Medicaid cuts.

In the meantime, Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified earlier than Congress for the primary time since taking workplace. In typically surprisingly combative exchanges with lawmakers within the Home and Senate, Kennedy denied slicing packages regardless of proof on the contrary and mentioned at one level that he doesn’t assume People “ought to be taking medical recommendation from me.”

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Julie Appleby of KFF Well being Information, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins College Bloomberg Faculty of Public Well being and Politico Journal, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.

Panelists

Julie Appleby
KFF Well being Information

@Julie_appleby

Learn Julie’s tales.

Joanne Kenen
Johns Hopkins College and Politico

@JoanneKenen

@joannekenen.bsky.social

Learn Joanne’s bio.

Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico

@AliceOllstein

@alicemiranda.bsky.social

Learn Alice’s tales.

Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:

• Home Republicans this week launched — then shortly ushered by means of committee — main laws that may make deep cuts to federal spending whereas funding President Donald Trump’s home priorities, together with renewing tax cuts and boosting border safety. A preliminary estimate by the Congressional Finances Workplace discovered the invoice would minimize at the very least $715 billion from federal well being spending over 10 years — with most of that cash coming from the Medicaid program.
• General, the Home GOP’s proposal would make it tougher to enroll, and keep enrolled, in Medicaid and Reasonably priced Care Act protection. Amongst different adjustments, the invoice would impose a requirement that nondisabled adults (with some exceptions) work, volunteer, or examine at the very least 80 hours per 30 days to be eligible for protection. However Democrats and affected person advocates level to proof that, reasonably than encouraging employment, such a mandate ends in extra folks shedding or dropping protection below burdensome paperwork necessities.
• Republicans additionally declined to increase the improved tax credit launched in the course of the covid-19 pandemic that assist many individuals afford ACA market protection. These tax credit expire on the finish of the yr, and premiums are anticipated to balloon, which may immediate many individuals to not renew their protection.
• And Kennedy’s appearances on Capitol Hill this week supplied Congress the primary alternative to query the well being secretary since he assumed his submit. He was grilled by Democrats about vaccines, congressionally appropriated funds, company firings, and way more.

Plus, for “further credit score,” the panelists recommend well being coverage tales they learn this week that they assume you must learn, too: 

Julie Rovner: The New York Instances’ “Elizabeth Holmes’s Accomplice Has a New Blood-Testing Begin-Up,” by Rob Copeland.  

Alice Miranda Ollstein: ProPublica’s “He Turned the Face of Georgia’s Medicaid Work Requirement. Now He’s Fed Up With It.” by Margaret Coker, The Present.

Julie Appleby: Scientific American’s “How Trump’s Nationwide Climate Service Cuts Might Price Lives,” by Andrea Thompson.  

Joanne Kenen: The Atlantic’s “Now Is Not the Time To Eat Bagged Lettuce,” by Nicholas Florko.

Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:

Credit

Francis Ying
Audio producer

Emmarie Huetteman
Editor

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