KFF Health News' 'What the Health?' Bill With Billions in Health Program Cuts Passes House
13 snips
May 23, 2025 
Joining the discussion are Anna Edney, a Bloomberg News health policy reporter, Alice Miranda Ollstein from Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of The Pink Sheet, and Mary Ziegler, a law professor and abortion historian. They dive into the House's narrow passage of a contentious budget bill, highlighting proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Mary Ziegler shares insights on the evolving legal landscape of the personhood movement. The panel also analyzes the implications of COVID vaccine accessibility and health misinformation, emphasizing the need for compassion amid political maneuvering.
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Medicaid Work Reporting Impact
- Medicaid work reporting requirements create a heavy administrative burden that causes many eligible people to lose coverage.
- This leads to cost savings mainly because people are removed from the rolls, not because they gain employment.
Medicaid's Proven Health Benefits
- Medicaid improves health outcomes especially among younger people covered after the ACA expansion.
- It saves lives and can reduce long-term health costs by improving quality of life.
ACA Cuts Raise Premiums
- The House bill includes major cuts to the Affordable Care Act making coverage more expensive and less accessible.
- Premiums will rise from subsidy expirations and the repeal of cost-sharing reduction payments.
