Trump's Medicaid cuts threaten Florida's hospitals, most vulnerable residents
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Florida's health care workers and advocates are sounding the alarm over Medicaid cuts in President Trump's tax and spending bill, arguing millions of residents could lose access to care in an already underfunded system.
Why it matters: Curtailing funding will force health care providers to reduce or do away with necessary services, increase driving times for rural families seeking care and increase costs, advocates say.
The big picture: The bill, which Trump signed into law Friday, has three main Medicaid shifts making medical providers nervous:
- Providers say adding work requirements for some recipients and conducting eligibility checks twice a year (instead of once) could lead to accidental coverage losses, starting Dec. 31, 2026.
- Plus: Hospitals face cuts to Medicaid payments they rely on for funding (beginning 2028).
State of play: The phase-down effects of national cuts could cost the Sunshine State about $4 billion annually in Medicaid support, the Florida Health Justice Project projected.
- The cuts, advocates say, will likely impact the most vulnerable residents.
By the numbers: As of 2024, about 4.3 million Floridians relied on Medicaid for their health care coverage — almost 19% of the state's population, according to state data.
- 77% of Florida's Medicaid recipients are children, seniors 65 and over, and people with disabilities, per the Health Justice Project.
- In January, 23% of Florida's rural hospitals were at risk of closure, with Medicaid serving as a crucial source of revenue.
- Medicaid serves more than 700,000 seniors and about 62% of nursing homes in the state rely on it.
What they're saying: The cuts are "not an accounting tactic" but an "extreme blow" to a system that is relied on by about one in five Florida residents, Mary C. Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association, wrote prior to the bill's passing.
- "Florida already ranks nearly dead last regarding per capita Medicaid spending," she added. Florida has "no fat to trim, no bloat to eliminate, no waste to minimize."
The other side: Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, told the Palm Beach Post this week she doesn't expect the cuts to have such an impact on Florida compared to other places because the state didn't expand its Medicaid program.
- She also touted the state's recently approved budget, which includes funding for health clinics, rural areas and nursing homes.