Mapped: Medicaid recipients across the U.S.
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House Republicans are weighing a bill that would reduce Medicaid spending by hundreds of billions of dollars.
The big picture: The safety net program serves nearly 73 million Americans, who could face coverage and benefit losses.
- About equal shares of people are covered by Medicaid in states that voted for President Trump and former Vice President Harris, per an analysis of 2023 data.
- The Trump administration previously threatened cuts to Medicaid, which sowed confusion and prompted concern among recipients and bipartisan legislators.
By the numbers: Medicaid accounts for a fifth of health care spending and more than half of spending for long-term care, per health nonprofit KFF.
- Nationally, about one in five people have Medicaid, ranging from about 11% of people in Utah, on the low end, to 34% in New Mexico.
- People who qualify for Medicaid based on age or disability account for more than half of spending.
Driving the news: The House GOP bill, released on Sunday, could be the biggest change to Medicaid in its 60-year history.
- The bill would require at least 80 hours of work per month for 19- to 64-year-old recipients with some exceptions; ban new or increased provider taxes; cap new state-directed payments; and increase eligibility checks.
Context: Moderate House Republicans expressed concerns about their constituents' Medicaid benefits being harmed, as the House budget calls for as much as $2 trillion in cuts to mandatory spending.
- Meanwhile, conservative hardliners called for deeper cuts.
- More than 75% of U.S. adults surveyed in April said they oppose major cuts toMedicaid funding, including more than half of Republicans, according to KFF.
Zoom out: In February, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team gained access to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, which handles Medicaid benefits.
Between the lines: Children were disproportionately affected by proposed 2017 cuts to Medicaid, per First Focus on Children, a bipartisan advocacy organization.
- "Even if kids are spared at the federal level this time, such cuts would force states to either raise taxes, cut their budgets, and/or ration care to Medicaid enrollees, especially children," the organization said in a statement.
- "This would result in a reduction in benefits, services, and coverage, especially for babies, children with special and complex health care needs, and kids in the foster care system."
Go deeper: GOP faces Medicaid conundrum with clock ticking
Editor's note: This story has been updated with information about the House Republican bill.
