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Indianapolis Star
a day ago
- Health
- Indianapolis Star
Trump's tax bill will gut Medicaid in Indiana
President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is set to become law. What's being celebrated in Washington as a political victory will hit Indiana as a health care crisis. Marketed as tax and budget reform, the bill guts Medicaid, strips away insurance protections and enacts policy changes that will leave tens of thousands of Hoosiers without coverage. For a state that already ranks near the bottom in public health funding, this is deeply irresponsible. This bill creates unmistakable winners and losers. Wealthier Americans and large employers benefit from extended tax cuts and fewer insurance requirements. States with conservative leadership gain more control over Medicaid, allowing them to cut spending with less federal oversight. Meanwhile, the losses fall squarely on working families, rural communities and people with chronic illness. More from Raja Ramaswamy: Nurses are drowning while Braun ignores Indiana's health care crisis Giving Indiana more control over Medicaid isn't inherently harmful. But in Indiana, where leaders have consistently underfunded public health and pushed for tighter eligibility, that control is likely to mean stricter rules, fewer benefits and more people losing coverage. Indiana's hospitals will absorb roughly $800 million in unpaid care, leading to higher bills, strained clinics and more Hoosiers forced into medical debt. Patients who rely on comprehensive plans may find themselves stuck with stripped-down policies that exclude mental health, maternity care or treatment for serious illness. The people who need care the most are the ones being asked to sacrifice. The bill cuts Medicaid by more than $1 trillion nationwide, according to the Congressional Budget Office. In Indiana, 2.3 million people rely on Medicaid, including children, seniors and low-income workers. New work and paperwork requirements are expected to knock tens of thousands of Hoosiers off the rolls. These are bureaucratic obstacles that force families to choose between treatment and financial stability. Supporters claim the bill will root out fraud and encourage work. But with Indiana ranked 48th in public health funding, we are in no position to absorb cuts of this scale. Medicaid is not a handout. It is a lifeline for working families. This bill severs it, leaving thousands vulnerable to financial and health crises. The Center for American Progress estimates the legislation will add $36 billion in uncompensated care costs nationwide, with Indiana's share at roughly $800 million. Those costs will strain hospitals, raise premiums and burden families already struggling to afford care. This bill is a failure of health policy. Health care is not optional. It is as essential as public education or clean water. Cutting coverage for thousands of Hoosiers does not save money. It shifts the burden onto families who cannot afford to get sick. Trump calls it beautiful. In Indiana, it's nothing but brutal.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump's VA cuts will leave Indiana veterans with slower, costlier health care
As someone who has worked within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care system in Indianapolis, I have seen firsthand the dedication of the medical professionals who serve our veterans. I have also seen the immense challenges they face, including staffing shortages, long wait times and an ever-growing demand for care. Now, with the decision to slash 80,000 jobs from the VA, those challenges will worsen. Indiana's 400,000 veterans will pay the price. The Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, the state's largest VA facility, is expected to lose hundreds of essential workers, including doctors, nurses and mental health professionals. Opinion: HIP faces deep cuts as Republicans hide behind Medicaid's complexity Veterans in Indiana already wait an average of 42 days for a primary care appointment. With these cuts, those delays will increase dramatically, leaving many veterans without timely care. The situation is even worse for those in rural areas, where the VA's community-based outpatient clinics in Terre Haute, Bloomington and South Bend are facing possible staff reductions or closings. This means veterans will have to travel farther for care, assuming they can access it at all. The impact of these cuts cannot be overstated. Longer wait times for medical appointments will force veterans to delay critical care, leading to worsening health outcomes. Slashing mental health services will only exacerbate Indiana's already high veteran suicide rate, stripping away support from those who need it most. Reduced access to specialty care will leave veterans with chronic conditions struggling to receive proper treatment. Let's call this what it is — many will be pushed toward for-profit health care, which is often more expensive and less effective than the care provided by the VA. It is a direct attack on those who have risked their lives for this country. Leaders claim these cuts are about efficiency, but the reality is far different. The VA is a lifeline for millions of veterans. The system has consistently outperformed private hospitals in veteran care, yet these cuts aim to dismantle it in favor of privatization. This is about shifting resources away from veterans — and into the pockets of corporations that see health care as a business rather than a duty. This is a crisis, not a budget issue. Veterans upheld their promise to serve this nation, and now they are being abandoned. Indiana lawmakers must demand transparency about how many jobs will be lost in our state and how these cuts will impact veteran care. Our veterans deserve better. Dr. Raja Ramaswamy is a first-generation Indian American, an Indianapolis-based physician and the author of "You Are the New Prescription." This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana VA wait times could get longer under budget cuts | Opinion
