A homeless encampment in Harbor City, Calif. Photo: Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images
The Trump administration's proposal to change how the federal poverty level is calculated would cut millions of people's health benefits, according to a new analysis by the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
What's happening: The Office of Management and Budget proposal would adopt a lower rate of inflation to determine poverty — meaning the poverty limit would rise more slowly, and fewer people would qualify for assistance.
By the numbers: After 10 years, the change would result in:
- More than 250,000 seniors or people with disabilities either losing their eligibility for Medicare Part D's low income subsidy program, or receiving less assistance from it.
- More than 150,000 seniors or people with disabilities losing assistance with their Medicare premiums.
- More than 300,000 children losing Medicaid and CHIP coverage.
- More than 250,000 people losing the coverage they gained through the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.
- More than 150,000 ACA exchange enrollees losing all or some of their cost-sharing assistance.
- Tens of thousands of ACA enrollees losing their premium subsidies, and millions receiving smaller subsidies.
Go deeper: Poor people spend more of their income on health care