🚨 House Passes Controversial GOP Bill with Major Medicaid Overhaul

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In a razor-thin 215-214 vote on Thursday, House Republicans pushed through what Speaker Mike Johnson has called a “generational, nation-shaping” bill — a sweeping legislative package that includes the most significant changes to Medicaid since the program began in 1965.

Despite deep divisions within their ranks, Republicans managed to unite just enough to send the massive, multi-trillion-dollar bill to the Senate. The win comes after intense last-minute negotiations between party hardliners demanding aggressive spending cuts and moderates wary of gutting social safety net programs.

The bill passed without a single Democratic vote. Several Republicans also dissented or missed the vote entirely, underscoring how fragile the coalition behind the measure remains.

What’s in the Bill?

The legislation combines a range of conservative priorities, including:

• Extending Trump-era tax cuts

• Reducing funding for nutrition and education programs

• Rolling back clean energy investments from the Biden administration

• Boosting immigration enforcement

But perhaps most notably, it proposes a $700 billion cut to Medicaid over the next decade. The largest savings would come from new work reporting requirements, which would force Medicaid recipients to regularly prove they are working, studying, or volunteering. These mandates would take effect in late 2026, after conservative lawmakers pushed to move the timeline forward from 2029.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), these changes — along with other eligibility restrictions — could result in 7.6 million people losing Medicaid coverage. Another 4 million could lose access to ACA marketplace plans, effectively erasing about half the insurance gains made since the Affordable Care Act became law in 2010.

Impact on Communities

Advocates and healthcare experts warn the bill could severely disrupt access to care, especially for low-income and rural communities.

Hospital associations echoed those concerns. Rural hospitals and clinics, many already struggling to keep their doors open, say the cuts could force them to scale back services — or shut down entirely.

A Deep Partisan Divide

Democrats have slammed the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy, funded on the backs of vulnerable Americans. They argue the bill will raise out-of-pocket healthcare costs, cut vital services, and undermine the Medicaid program's core mission.

The GOP’s strategy relies on the budget reconciliation process, which allows them to bypass a Senate filibuster and pass the bill with a simple majority.

What’s Next?

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces a difficult path forward. Several Republican senators have expressed concerns — some want even deeper spending cuts, while others are pushing back on proposals that could destabilize state Medicaid funding.

Despite those hurdles, GOP leaders are hoping to finalize the legislation and send it to former President Trump’s desk by July 4.

📬 Stay with us for real-time updates on this story as it moves through the Senate — and what it means for healthcare access, Medicaid recipients, and the broader healthcare economy.