KFF Health News' 'What the Health?' GOP Poised To Cut Billions in Health Benefits
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May 15, 2025 Join health reporters Alice Miranda Ollstein from Politico, Joanne Kenen from Johns Hopkins, and Julie Appleby from KFF Health News as they dissect proposed cuts exceeding $700 billion to Medicaid and other health programs. They explore the political fallout following Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s congressional testimonies and the implications of new health policies including controversial Medicaid work requirements. The panel also highlights recent public health debates, from fluoride ban discussions to the abortion pill, showcasing the tension in health policymaking.
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Medicaid Cuts and Work Requirements
- The GOP bill includes $715 billion cuts mainly to Medicaid but avoids per capita caps on expansion populations.
- It introduces work requirements and copayments, which evidence shows reduce needed care and coverage.
Work Requirements as Paperwork Traps
- Work requirements mostly punish those who can't navigate complex paperwork, not targeting the unemployed.
- Work requirements are delayed until 2029, likely to count savings without real enforcement yet.
ACA Accessibility Reductions
- The bill also restricts ACA coverage by shortening enrollment and ending special enrollment periods.
- These provisions would reduce insurance enrollment by millions and codify hardships in accessing care.