A move by Republican legislators to cut back federal contributions to Medicaid expansion could lead to tens of thousands more deaths. analysis from a progressive think tank.
A report from the Center for Progress in America (CAP), shared with Hills, indicates that around 34,200 individuals could die annually if the federal government reduces its current 90% expansion funding while states eliminate Medicaid expansion.
At present, 12 states have “trigger” laws that automatically end expansions or necessitate modifications if federal funding rates decline.
The CAP report was founded on a 2017 study conducted in New York, Arizona, and Maine by health economist Benjamin Sommers from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Sommers estimated that Medicaid expansion prevented one additional death every year for every 239-316 adults who gained insurance.
States that have adopted Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion will continue to receive a 90% federal funding rate for adults included in the expansion.
Republican members of Congress are contemplating this as part of a negotiation strategy to fund Trump’s tax cut extension. While no unified policy exists, House Republicans are tasked with locating an $880 billion cut from the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid.
The committee is currently focused on revising the Settlement Act, with discussions set for May 7th.
“The federal government covers 90% of Medicaid expansion. Our goal is to revert this 90% funding level to something more traditional,” Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) stated in a Fox Business interview on Monday. “As long as the governor chooses to keep funding the program, no one is being pushed out of Medicaid.”
Removing the enhanced federal funding for Medicaid’s expanded demographic would significantly cut federal expenditure, yet these expenses would then shift to states, obliging governors to make tough choices.
Some Republicans, including President Trump, are blocking moves to reduce Medicaid benefits. However, House GOP leaders assert that Obamacare permits states to broaden Medicaid beyond those in genuine need, and that federal support should not be utilized for this expansion.
“When individuals are part of a program that exhausts resources, it should be taken from those who genuinely require it,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) remarked to Fox News last week.
“You’re referring to young single mothers and the swiftity of their assets. People with real disabilities, elderly individuals,” he added. “We must safeguard and maintain that program.
Earlier this month, 12 at-risk, moderate Republicans expressed their disapproval of a settlement plan due to concerns over Medicaid cuts, but did not indicate whether they would oppose the federal funding rollback.
