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How the Senate health bill would change Medicaid funding

The Senate health care bill would substantially reduce federal funding for all Medicaid beneficiary groups over the next two decades compared to current law, according to an analysis by Avalere, a health care consulting firm.

Why this matters: The funding cuts could encourage states to cut benefits for enrollees, payments to providers or eligibility for the program. It also saves the federal government $772 billion over 10 years, and likely much more over 20 years.

Data: Avalere Health analysis; Note: Adult age cutoff defined by state, ranging from 19-21. Seniors are 65+; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon / Axios

What the bill does:

  • Phases out enhanced federal funding for the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.
  • Caps the amount of federal funding per Medicaid enrollee. This cap grows with medical inflation beginning in 2020, but in 2025 the growth rate slows to inflation, which is tighter and causes most of the steep reductions.

Go deeper: How the Senate health bill would change insurance premiums, broken down by location, age and income.