Report: Medicaid Cuts Would Rip Away Health Coverage from Millions
On March 13, 11 leading civil rights and health equity organizations held a joint press briefing to release a report analyzing the Medicaid cuts passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives. In a news release, UnidosUS stated that the House-passed Budget Resolution framework would make the largest Medicaid cuts in American history, placing at risk the health and financial security of more than 70 million children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families.
“While people of all backgrounds would be in danger, the report finds that communities of color would suffer especially widespread harm: nearly 42 million people, or approximately a third of all people of color in the U.S., rely on Medicaid for healthcare and would be placed in harm’s way if the House’s cuts become law.”
The House Budget Resolution would cut at least $880 billion from Medicaid over the next 10 years to help finance $4.5 trillion in tax breaks. The report illustrates how communities of color are especially at risk, with Medicaid covering half of all children of color and more than a fourth of adults of color aged 65 and older.
Shavon Arline-Bradley, president and CEO, National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) said in a statement, “It is deeply concerning that the U.S. would consider cutting Medicaid. There is no humanity behind these budget cuts. Not having a safety net for healthcare for the least of us says that you do not understand the needs of the American people and are clearly out of touch.”
“Slashing Medicaid isn’t just a policy choice—it’s a direct attack on the health and well-being of millions of Americans, especially people of color who already face systemic barriers to care. These cuts would rip away essential coverage, forcing families to forgo doctor visits, life-saving medications, and critical treatments,” said Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL-9), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), in a statement. “Gutting Medicaid would only deepen inequality and push the most vulnerable further to the margins. No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and getting the care they need to survive.”
The report concluded that many people’s commitment to Medicaid comes from personal experience. “For almost two in five Americans, including 38 percent of people who voted for then-candidate Trump, Medicaid covers them or someone in their immediate family.”
