After 61 Years, Medicare And Medicaid Face Fresh Republican Attacks
For 61 years, Medicare and Medicaid have been the backbone of America’s health care system, providing lifesaving care for more than 130 million Americans, including children, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and working families. Today, Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are working around the clock to gut these vital programs and rip health care away from millions.
“On the 61st anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, Republicans continue to prove that affordable health care is not their priority,” said Senate Democratic Leader Schumer. “While they’re ripping health care away from millions of Americans to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and doubling prescription drug costs for seniors, Republicans have one message for families: kick rocks. Already, Americans have been forced to delay care, ration medication, go into debt, or drop their health care coverage entirely. Democrats will never stop fighting to make health care easier to access, navigate, and afford. The American people know who is on their side—and who is siding with the wealthy and well-connected.”
After passing the largest health care cuts in American history to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and large corporations, Trump and Republicans are now making it even harder for Americans to get and keep health coverage. The result: millions have lost their coverage, and hospitals, nursing homes, and community health centers across the country are being pushed to cut services or close altogether. Republicans have forced Americans to pay more for groceries, gas, and housing, and the last thing families can afford is higher health care costs.
Republicans' Big, Ugly Bill put billionaires over families, forcing millions of Americans to delay care, ration medication, go bankrupt when they get sick, and lose their health coverage altogether.
Medicare And Medicaid Provide Lifesaving Care To Millions of Americans
These programs provide essential health care to Americans at every stage of life.
- 1 in 5 Americans rely on Medicaid for health coverage.
- Nearly half of America’s children rely on Medicaid.
- More than 68 million seniors and 7 million people with disabilities rely on Medicare.
- 6 in 10 nursing home residents depend on Medicaid to afford long-term care.
- More than 4 in 10 births are covered by Medicaid—including nearly half of births in rural communities.
Republican Health Care Cuts Created A Crisis
Because Republicans slashed over $800 billion from Medicaid in their Big, Ugly Bill, millions of Americans are now facing sky-high health care costs, having their coverage ripped away, or losing access to basic care.
- More than 8 million Americans have already lost health coverage since Republicans passed their Big, Ugly Bill, including nearly 4 million who lost Medicaid/CHIP. In the coming years, it’s expected that more than 15 million people will lose coverage.
- More than 1,000 hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes are at risk of closing or cutting services because of Medicaid cuts. Hospitals and providers in rural and underserved areas are among those most at risk.
- Nearly 1 million cancer screenings will be missed, and 51,000 more people each year will die because of Medicaid cuts.
- More than 20 Planned Parenthood health centers have been forced to close, hitting rural and medically underserved areas the hardest and cutting off access to essential health care.
Their First Cuts Weren’t Enough—Republicans Are Back For More
The Trump administration’s cuts to Medicare will drive up seniors’ prescription drug coverage costs, and its proposed Medicaid rules would make it harder for eligible Americans to get and keep health coverage.
- Millions of Americans will have to pay double for the same prescription drugs because the Trump administration announced it is ending a Medicare drug coverage subsidy.
- People with serious illnesses—including some patients with cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or HIV—could be ruled not sick enough to qualify for a medical exemption from work and could be at risk of losing coverage.
- Millions of Americans will have to repeatedly prove they’re working, in school, or unable to work—or risk having their coverage cut.
- Doctors and nurses will face burdensome new paperwork requirements to document why sick patients should remain covered, taking time away from patient care.
- Seniors are facing delays and denials of medically necessary care because the Trump administration is adding prior authorization requirements to Medicare.
The Bottom Line: Republican Attacks On Medicare And Medicaid Are Threatening Lives and Livelihoods
- For 61 years, Medicare and Medicaid have helped millions of Americans at every stage of life get the care they need.
- To pay for tax giveaways for billionaires and big corporations, Republicans chose to slash $1 trillion from our health care system, ripping coverage away from millions of Americans, raising costs, and threatening hospitals and providers across the country.
- Americans are being forced to delay care, go into debt, and go bankrupt so Republicans could give the top 1% another handout.
- Senate Democrats are fighting to protect and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid to ensure American families have access to affordable health care.
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