Big Ugly BIll

As of March 2025, around 72,000 Nebraska residents were enrolled in Medicaid via the ACA's expansion of the program.

Last summer, after Congressional Republicans passed their Big Ugly Bill, I warned people against assuming that the gutting of Medicaid wouldn't hit until after the 2026 midterms:

Over at The New Republic, Greg Sargent has taken this thinking one step further, noting that by delaying so much of the ugliness of the new law until 2027 or beyond...

Republicans know how unpopular all this will be. So they’ve structured the bill so the tax cuts land immediately, while many of the Medicaid cuts get going in 2027 and 2028. That’s meant to spare them in the midterms.

(sigh) So, moments ago I received the following press release from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled details on how states can apply to receive funding from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program created under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to strengthen health care across rural America. This unprecedented investment is designed to empower states to transform the existing rural health care infrastructure and build sustainable health care systems that expand access, enhance quality of care, and improve outcomes for patients.

Amusingly (and sadly), the link itself goes to the WhiteHouse.Gov page describing not the "Working Families Tax Cuts Act" (which doesn't exist) but rather the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" which is what Trump and Republicans insisted on calling it for months, right up until they realized that it's about as popular as a turd in a punchbowl, at which point they decided that simply rebranding it as a "tax cut" for "working families" will solve all their problems at the midterms next year.

I knew this was coming but it's still depressing to see it officially announced. Via NY State of Health:

Following Devastating Federal Funding Cuts, New York State Takes New Action to Preserve Health Care for As Many New Yorkers As Possible

This actually happened a couple of weeks ago but I've been playing catchup after being on vacation for a week or so...

Via NY State of Health:

Estimated Health Impacts of Almost $13 Billion Annually, Paralyzing Our Health Care System

1.5 Million New Yorkers Stripped of Health Care Coverage and Become Uninsured; Projected $8 Billion in Losses for New York’s Hospitals

Governor Kathy Hochul today joined U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres, local elected officials, doctors, and healthcare leaders to warn of the destructive ramifications of President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill” on New York State. The cuts imposed by Washington Republicans are expected to have a significant impact, with an anticipated nearly $13 billion affecting New Yorkers healthcare system. Additionally, approximately 1.5 million New Yorkers are projected to lose their health insurance coverage, while over 300,000 households are expected to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits.