People abuse Medicaid. That's why Trump's Big Beautiful Bill makes it stronger.

USA Today

18 hours ago

My Democratic colleagues in Congress have spread misinformation about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, claiming that it is a disaster for families. That's simply untrue.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump tasked Congress with developing a bill that enacts his domestic policy agenda and kickstarts the American economy.
This piece of legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was signed into law by the president on July 4. It accomplished its goal of providing tax relief for Kentucky families, securing our border, investing in our military readiness, unleashing American energy and strengthening Medicaid for our most vulnerable Americans.
In Congress, I am honored to serve as the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. At the onset of the work on the One Big Beautiful Bill, we were tasked with finding $880 billion in savings from our committee's jurisdiction.
The final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill includes over $1 trillion in savings from my committee's jurisdiction. To accomplish this, we worked to eliminate reckless Green New Deal environmental regulations, promote American energy dominance and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse within the Medicaid program.
As you may have seen in the news over the past few weeks, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have spread misinformation about this bill, claiming that it is a disaster for Kentucky families. That's simply untrue.
Let's take a moment to address a few of the false narratives that have been spread to scare the American people.
Opinion: Trump isn't gutting Medicaid and food stamps. He's fixing our broken welfare system.
Truth and lies about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and Medicaid
Allegation: Single mothers, children, seniors and people with disabilities will lose access to health care.
Truth: The Medicaid provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill ensure our most vulnerable Americans continue receiving the support they need. It strengthens the program by removing deceased recipients from the Medicaid rolls, requiring states to conduct more frequent eligibility checks for the expansion population, ensuring that individuals are not enrolled in multiple states and enacting commonsense work requirements for able-bodied Americans who choose not to work. Additionally, our bill expands access to home and community based services for low-income seniors and individuals living with a disability.
Allegation: Work requirements are a 'ruse' to force people off Medicaid.
Truth: According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, there are 4.8 million able-bodied adults currently on Medicaid who don't work. A survey showed this population spends roughly 184 hours a month watching television and socializing – that's 50% higher than employed beneficiaries.
Your Turn: Medicaid handouts only create dependency. Able-bodied adults should work. | Opinion Forum
Our bill enacts basic work requirements to require individuals to be employed, participate in job training, go to school or volunteer in their communities for just 20 hours per week to receive Medicaid. Notably, the One Big Beautiful Bill exempts people ages under 19 or over 65, pregnant women, tribal members, caregivers of children and seniors with disabilities and parents with dependents under 15. I believe most people would agree it's appropriate to expect able-bodied, unemployed adults on Medicaid to work or give back to their communities to receive fully subsidized health insurance.
Kentuckians' support for these policies is strong, as this year, the Kentucky General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to overturn Gov. Andy Beshear's veto and institute a similar state-level work requirement.
Allegation: Over 35 Kentucky hospitals are at risk of closing as a direct result of this bill.
Truth: The allegation that 35 rural hospitals will close is a blatant mischaracterization at best. This number stems from a list of hospitals that generally receive high levels of Medicaid funding or experienced three consecutive years of negative total profit margin.
This claim fails to mention the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program created by the bill to support rural health providers care for their patients. This will bolster funding for our most vulnerable hospitals and allow them to keep serving their communities.
Trump's bill refocuses Medicaid to cover the most vulnerable
Our legislation eliminates restrictive Biden-Harris era state requirements, forcing ineligible individuals to remain enrolled, and lifts Americans out of poverty by encouraging reentry into the workforce. By cutting top-down mandates, we refocus Medicaid dollars to cover the most vulnerable and give states' budgets the ability to further invest in hospitals.
Spending in the Medicaid program continues to chart an unsustainable path, growing at twice the rate of inflation between 2018 and 2023. If not addressed, the program will no longer have the capacity to serve its intended purpose. In order to preserve this safety net for generations to come, Republicans have committed to policies that empower states to care for our most vulnerable Americans – pregnant women, children, individuals living with a disability and low-income seniors.
The One Big Beautiful Bill is a commonsense win that strengthens Medicaid for Kentucky's most vulnerable, and I'm proud to have supported its passage.
Congressman Brett Guthrie has served the people of Kentucky's Second District in Congress since 2009. He currently serves as chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This column originally appeared in the Courier Journal.