Fact Check: The legislation will cut Medicaid, affecting over 71 million Americans.

Fact Check: "The legislation will cut Medicaid, affecting over 71 million Americans."

What We Know

The claim that the legislation will cut Medicaid and affect over 71 million Americans is based on the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, H.R. 1, by the House of Representatives. This bill includes significant changes to Medicaid, projected to reduce federal Medicaid payments to states by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade, which could lead to millions losing their coverage (source-1). Specifically, estimates suggest that approximately 10.3 million people could lose their Medicaid coverage as a direct result of the proposed cuts (source-2). As of December 2024, Medicaid covers about 71.3 million Americans (source-1).

Analysis

While the claim accurately states that the legislation will cut Medicaid and affect a large number of Americans, the specifics require careful consideration. The House-passed bill is projected to cut Medicaid spending by approximately $625 billion, which would represent the largest cuts in the program's history (source-2). However, the exact number of individuals who will lose coverage remains uncertain, as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has not yet released final estimates for the version of the bill that passed. Preliminary estimates indicated that over 10 million could be impacted, but changes made to the bill just before the vote could potentially increase this number (source-1).

The reliability of the sources cited is generally high, as they include reports from reputable organizations and experts in health policy. However, the complexity of Medicaid and the ongoing legislative changes mean that the situation is fluid, and estimates may evolve as more data becomes available. The potential impact of the cuts, particularly on vulnerable populations, has been highlighted by various experts, indicating that the consequences could be severe, including increased mortality rates among those losing coverage (source-2).

Conclusion

The claim that the legislation will cut Medicaid and affect over 71 million Americans is Partially True. While it is accurate that the bill proposes significant cuts to Medicaid and that these cuts could lead to millions losing their coverage, the exact number of affected individuals is still uncertain due to the lack of finalized estimates from the CBO. The claim captures the essence of the legislation's intent and potential impact but does not fully account for the complexities and evolving nature of the legislative process.

Fact Check: The legislation will cut Medicaid, affecting over 71 million Americans.