Latest news with #MEDICAID
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Republicans' new Medicaid red tape will push Missouri to the brink and block healthcare for millions
New paperwork and work rules for Medicaid will impose new burdens on state government systems (Getty Images). This week, Senators have started their consideration of President Trump's big tax bill, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in May. Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley was clear in his priorities for the legislation, writing in early May that 'slashing health insurance for the working poor is … both morally wrong and politically suicidal.' President Donald Trump was blunter, telling lawmakers not to 'f**k around with Medicaid.' The bill passed by the House, does not pass their test – it does not, as Trump and Hawley claim, contain 'NO MEDICAID BENEFIT CUTS.' Instead, it will kick millions of people off of Medicaid by piling on new red tape. And it will bury under-resourced state Medicaid offices in so much paperwork that they will be at risk of collapse. Together, these forces will mean that eligible Americans in Missouri and around the country will not have access to their Medicaid. Many will be left without health care as they prepare to bring a child into the world, face a new cancer diagnosis, or manage a chronic illness. In other words, if this bill passes, Medicaid will be cut for Missourians when they most need it. The House bill imposes new bureaucratic requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries, forcing them to file piles of new paperwork about their jobs, schools, disabilities, or sick family members to keep the health insurance they are already eligible for under the law. These so-called 'work requirements' do not boost employment as advertised – experiments in other states have repeatedly failed to do so. This is, in part, because the vast majority of Medicaid beneficiaries who can work already do. That makes sense – you can't buy food and pay rent with a health insurance card. The reason this bill reduces the cost of Medicaid by billions of dollars is that it assumes regular people will get tangled in the red tape of proving they are eligible for Medicaid. Experts project that over 10 million eligible people will lose their health care because of all the paperwork, including over 180,000 Missourians. But we believe that even this prognosis is too optimistic. Most analyses only consider the difficulty that people will have proving that they are entitled to Medicaid under the law, but not the difficulty states will have in administering the new paperwork requirements. We have spent the last several years modernizing the systems that deliver benefits to millions of Americans, including Medicaid. What we have learned is that state Medicaid systems, including MO HealthNet, are already on the brink – and lack the resources and resilience to take on the onslaught of requirements and deadlines about to hit them. Trump's tax legislation, the new requirements it imposes, and the lightning-fast timeline it requires, are setting Medicaid up for a collapse. Here's how it could play out. States are responsible for determining Medicaid eligibility. They allow people to enroll in one of four ways – by mailing in documents, enrolling online, applying over the phone, or walking into a physical office. Each of these pathways is already at a tipping point. Medicaid agencies around the country have staff vacancies as high as 30 percent, which means there are already too few workers to open mail, process applications, answer the phones, and staff walk-in centers. As a result, even under the current system, eligible people can see their Medicaid lapse because their paperwork is not processed in time. Missourians have recent experience with the effects of an overburdened Medicaid system. By law, Medicaid applications are supposed to be processed in 45 days, but as of last May, Missouri missed that deadline 72% of the time – the worst record in the nation – causing the federal government to step in to help for the second time in two years. The wait time on the Medicaid call center was 56 minutes in February 2024. The House bill will immediately explode the workload for state Medicaid offices. Medicaid beneficiaries will need to prove their eligibility twice a year instead of annually. And then it piles on the new paperwork rules. Missouri will have to figure out how to verify that a beneficiary is working, going to school, or meeting the new requirements some other way. They'll need to send out millions of paper notices, emails, and text messages to notify enrollees about the changes and train staff to handle the deluge of documents that will flood in. Just hours before the bill passed, Congress quietly moved up the deadline for states to make these changes, requiring implementation by the end of 2026 or sooner. And all this new bureaucracy rests on technology that is already failing. We've seen just how broken states' health care infrastructure is – Luke helped uncover state software errors that improperly terminated coverage for nearly 500,000 eligible kids across 29 states after the pandemic. The added strain imposed by this legislation will crash websites, jam call centers, and trigger even more software errors – trapping working people in the chaos. Under these conditions, failure isn't just likely — it's inevitable. We don't need to guess at how this plays out. When Arkansas tried to implement Medicaid work requirements in 2018 the results were disastrous. People received confusing instructions about how to prove they were working and many never knew about the requirement. The state's website repeatedly crashed. In the end, more than 18,000 people lost coverage, employment rates did not budge, and the state wasted $26 million on a failed experiment. In some states, that will mean lines around the block at overwhelmed county offices. In others, dropped calls, system outages, and piles of unprocessed renewals. These challenges compound. When the website breaks, you call. When your call drops, you drive to the office. Attrition will spike as the overmatched Medicaid staff are increasingly under siege, overtime is mandatory, and time off is cancelled. Smaller and smaller numbers of staff will bear larger and larger workloads until the system collapses. And, eligible Americans – working adults, kids, seniors, students, and adults with illnesses and disabilities – will still have no Medicaid. Hospitals will provide more uncompensated coverage, putting some – especially rural hospitals and children's hospitals – at risk of failure. This bill sets up state Medicaid agencies to fail at their most basic task – ensuring that eligible people have health insurance. It doesn't matter to a pregnant mom why her Medicaid is cut, she is going to miss prenatal visits and skip her toddler's check-up. If Hawley wants to stand up for over one million Missourians who rely on Medicaid, he should oppose this bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hawley says Trump told him ‘no Medicaid benefit cuts'
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who has pushed back against a House proposal to reduce Medicaid spending by hundreds of billions of dollars, says President Trump told him Monday that the final bill encompassing his domestic agenda will not include any cuts to Medicaid benefits. 'Just had a great talk with President Trump about the Big, Beautiful Bill. He said again, NO MEDICAID BENEFIT CUTS,' Hawley posted on the social platform X. That post appeared to prompt a response from Texas Rep. Chip Roy (R), a vocal proponent of adding additional deficit-reducing reforms to the reconciliation bill, who argued that Medicaid needs to stop subsidizing able-bodied adults. 'Just had a great talk with my kids. They said again, STOP BORROWING MONEY TO PROP UP WASTEFUL SPENDING & TO SUBSIDIZE THE ABLE-BODIED OVER THE VULNERABLE,' Roy posted. The Congressional Budget Office estimated on a preliminary basis that the House bill would cut gross Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by more than $800 billion over 10 years and reduce Medicaid enrollment by 10.3 million people, according to the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) have also raised concerns about the potential impact of Medicaid spending cuts on constituents and rural hospitals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Hawley says Trump told him ‘no Medicaid benefit cuts'
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who has pushed back against a House proposal to reduce Medicaid spending by hundreds of billions of dollars, says President Trump told him on Monday that the final bill encompassing his domestic agenda will not include any cuts to Medicaid benefits. 'Just had a great talk with President Trump about the Big, Beautiful Bill. He said again, NO MEDICAID BENEFIT CUTS,' Hawley posted on the social media platform X. That post appeared to prompt a response from Texas Rep. Chip Roy (R), a vocal proponent of adding additional deficit-reducing reforms to the reconciliation bill, who argued that Medicaid needs to stop subsidizing able-bodied adults. 'Just had a great talk with my kids. They said again, STOP BORROWING MONEY TO PROP UP WASTEFUL SPENDING & TO SUBSIDIZE THE ABLE-BODIED OVER THE VULNERABLE,' Roy posted. The Congressional Budget Office estimated on a preliminary basis that the House bill would cut gross Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by ore than $800 billion over 10 years and reduce Medicaid enrollment by 10.3 million people, according to the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) have also raised concerns about the potential impact of Medicaid spending cuts on constituents and rural hospitals.
Politico
12-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
Trump's tax cuts on trial
Presented by A NEW ERA FOR PLAYBOOK: Big news from POLITICO's flagship morning newsletter in Washington: Today we launch The Playbook Podcast, hosted by author and managing editor Jack Blanchard and newly named Playbook Chief Correspondent Dasha Burns. Jack has already been skillfully decoding politics, policy and power in Washington, and now with Dasha, a proven force on the Trump beat, will deliver across platforms what makes Playbook essential: a clear, aggressively nonpartisan and deeply reported distillation of what matters now and why. Also joining the team: Adam Wren as contributing author for Playbook's Friday and Saturday editions, adding insight and sharp political reporting to your weekend reads. Sign up now to get Playbook delivered straight to your inbox. IN TODAY'S EDITION:— Tax bill coming today— Johnson huddles with SALT Republicans— Guthrie pitches Medicaid cut compromise House Republicans are just 33 hours away from starting their most consequential committee votes yet on President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' Here's the latest on what we know as GOP leaders push to have the bill on the floor next week. First, for your situational awareness: After committee votes this week, GOP leaders are aiming for the Budget Committee to vote on the plan Friday morning, followed by Rules Committee consideration next Monday, our Meredith Lee Hill reports. The real hard deadline for Hill Republicans is August, which is when Treasury expects the U.S. to hit its debt limit X-date and run out of cash to pay its bills. The administration wants Congress to act on that by mid-July. MEDICAID CUTS TAKE SHAPE — Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie late Sunday unveiled the slice of the budget reconciliation bill that his committee is set to take up Tuesday. It appears to be an attempt at striking a compromise between GOP moderates and conservative hardliners who have been at odds over how much to cut Medicaid to help pay for the bill's latest round of Trump tax cuts. But it could still lead to millions losing Medicaid coverage and force states to make difficult decisions. Guthrie is declining to cap federal funding to states that have expanded Medicaid, a proposal that moderates were wary of. But the plan would limit taxes that states levy on hospitals and providers to help finance their Medicaid programs, which could lead states to cut benefits. State officials are poised to fight back. TAX CUT QUESTIONS — Later today, Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith is expected to release the full details of his plan to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts and enact a further tax overhaul, after circulating an incomplete version Friday night. Ahead of a markup that begins Tuesday at 2 p.m., Smith is expected to brief Republican lawmakers on the details today at 1 p.m., our Benjamin Guggenheim reports. Right now, the bill appears to have a math problem. The draft that Ways and Means released Friday has an estimated $5 trillion cost, above the $4.5 trillion that Republicans permitted in their underlying budget framework. It's raising questions about whether the full bill will include some tax hikes. The Friday draft was also silent on a number of Trump 2.0 tax proposals. SALT was another glaring omission, and we're expecting further movement on that today. SALT Republicans who've been clashing with leadership — and each other — over the parameters for lifting the cap on state and local deductions are meeting with Ways and Means Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson at 10 a.m. to try to hash out a deal, two people familiar with the plans told Benjamin. Fill in the blanks: We're looking for details today on some of Trump's biggest campaign-trail tax pledges, including eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, and expensive business provisions Republicans want to restore. SNAP FIGHT — Republicans will turbocharge the fight over the nation's largest anti-hunger program when House Agriculture releases its megabill proposal today, Meredith reports. Ahead of a markup beginning Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., the text will put details behind a slew of proposals Republicans are pushing as they look to cut $230 billion in federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The most contentious plan would force states to pay for a portion of benefits for the first time, alarming GOP centrists like Reps. Don Bacon and David Valadao and state GOP leaders. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey and Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate are among those warning that the cost-sharing proposal would blow holes through state budgets and lead to massive reductions in services, our Jordan Wolman reports. Pressure's on: Families Over Billionaires, a liberal-leaning nonprofit, will hit Republicans over Medicaid cuts and tax changes that benefit the wealthy via mobile billboards circling the Capitol and House office buildings through Wednesday, the group shared first with us. GOOD MONDAY MORNING. If you haven't seen former Rep. Bob Ney's advice to fellow former Rep. George Santos on life behind bars, as told to our Ben Jacobs, it's definitely worth a read. Follow our live coverage at the Inside Congress blog at and email your Inside Congress scribes at lkashinsky@ bleonard@ and mmccarthy@ THE SKED The House is out. The Senate is in session and voting on Monica Crowley's nomination to be the State Department's chief of protocol at 5:30 p.m. — Armed Services will have a closed briefing on space superiority at 3:30 p.m. — Senate Republican and Democratic leadership will hold separate private meetings shortly before evening votes. The rest of the week: The House will take up law enforcement legislation, including a bill that would allow officers to purchase retired service weapons. The Senate will continue working through Trump's nominees, including Reed Rubinstein as legal adviser to State, Troy Meink for secretary of the Air Force, James Danly for deputy Energy secretary; Katharine MacGregor for deputy Interior secretary and Michael Rigas for deputy secretary of State for Management and Resources. THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Trump's latest tests for Hill leaders Look for congressional leaders to face questions over two weekend developments that pose potential conflicts between the White House and the legislative branch. ABC News reported Sunday that the royal family of Qatar was poised to make a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet available for Trump as Air Force One and for use after he leaves office. Qatar denied the report, but it raised questions — and triggered attacks by Democrats — over the ethics of such a move and whether it would violate the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which restricts federal officials from accepting gifts from a foreign state without congressional approval. Rep. Warren Davidson, an Ohio Republican, posted on X that accepting gifts from foreign governments is a 'Bad Idea!' On Saturday, news broke that Trump fired Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, following the termination of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden last week. The top copyright official is appointed by the librarian of Congress. Rep. Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on House Administration, which has jurisdiction over the Library of Congress and the U.S. Copyright Office, said the move was 'a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis.' After ICE scrum, Jeffries warns 'hands off' lawmakers House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is warning the Trump administration to 'keep your hands off of members of Congress' after three lawmakers — Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez and LaMonica McIver — were involved in a chaotic scene outside an ICE detention center in New Jersey. Following the incident, which led to federal agents arresting Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a DHS spokesperson said arresting the three Democratic lawmakers is 'on the table.' Watson Coleman claims she was 'physically shoved' by an ICE agent. Jeffries is calling for the administration to identify the 'masked agents who physically accosted' two members during the scuffle. POLICY RUNDOWN GALLEGO'S IMMIGRATION PLAY — Sen. Ruben Gallego is out with a sweeping immigration plan this morning as the Arizonan looks to cement his status as a key Democratic messenger on the issue. Gallego wants to ramp up border security by hiring more agents and investing in port infrastructure and drug-detection technology. He also wants to speed up the asylum process and expand legal pathways for immigrants in key industries. 'We don't have to choose between border security and immigration reform. We can and should do both,' Gallego will say in a video being released later today, a transcript of which was shared first with our Myah Ward. TRUMP'S NEW DRUG PRICING MOVE — Trump is set to sign an executive order today that could limit Medicare drug costs by tying them to the lower prices other nations pay. It comes after Hill Republicans balked at a similar proposal for Medicaid as an alternative to steep cuts to the program in their megabill. The pharmaceutical industry has slammed the proposals. The new executive order could cost companies billions of dollars. 'This Foreign First Pricing scheme is a bad deal for American patients,' PhRMA CEO Stephen Ubl said in a statement about Trump's impending order. 'It jeopardizes the hundreds of billions our member companies are planning to invest in America, making us more reliant on China for innovative medicines.' Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: CAMPAIGN STOP TRUMP'S MIDTERM OBSESSION — Trump is issuing a flurry of early House Republican endorsements as he grows antsy about the midterms, Rachael Bade reports in her latest Corridors column. The president is trying to prevent messy primaries while pushing back on policies that could alienate moderate voters. Trump's endorsements so far have been a mix of loyalists and vulnerable Republicans whose swing districts will be essential for the GOP to maintain its House majority. His latest slate, issued Friday, includes Reps. Carol Miller and Riley Moore in West Virginia, Virginia Foxx in North Carolina, Tim Walberg in Michigan, John Joyce in Pennsylvania and Anna Paulina Luna in Florida. THE BEST OF THE REST Jeanine Pirro's 2006 Senate Committee Ignored Election Laws and Still Owes Big Money to Creditors, from Dave Levinthal at NOTUS McKernan, in limbo as CFPB nominee, to get a shot at Treasury, from Mark Schoeff Jr. at Roll Call The red fitness watch challenge that's keeping Capitol Hill active, from David Sivak and Lauren Green at The Washington Examiner HAPPY BIRTHDAY POLITICO's Shay Reid, Peter Cook and Xiaolu Wang … Kevin Fox of Rep. Ro Khanna's office … Riley Brands … former Rep. Frank LoBiondo … Tom Strong-Grinsell TRIVIA FRIDAY'S ANSWER: Benjamin Wainer correctly answered that the first pope to address Congress was the late Pope Francis, in 2015. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Benjamin: In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, who was the first person of Asian descent elected to Congress? Include when they were elected and from what state. The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
