Just over half of Americans are worried that the Medicaid cuts in the House GOP’s sweeping Trump agenda package would hurt their family’s ability to obtain and afford health care, according to a poll released today by KFF, a nonpartisan health research group.
Democrats and independents are much more likely to feel this way than Republicans and supporters of President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, though nearly one-third of Republicans voiced concern about negative impacts on their families.
The bill calls for instituting work requirements in Medicaid for the first time, checking enrollees’ eligibility more often, penalizing certain states for providing coverage to undocumented immigrants using state funds and limiting states’ ability to levy taxes on health care providers.
About 70% of respondents in KFF’s poll said they are concerned that the spending cuts would leave more people uninsured and would negatively affect hospitals, nursing homes and other providers in their communities. Among Republicans, 43% said they are worried that the legislation would negatively affect their local health care providers.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that nearly 11 million more people would be uninsured in 2034 under the bill.
Just over a quarter of Medicaid enrollees identify as or lean Republican, including MAGA supporters, while just over a third identify as or lean Democrat and about the same share identify as or lean independent, the KFF poll found.
The package is now in the Senate, which is expected to make changes to it. Several GOP senators have voiced concerns about the Medicaid measures’ potential impact on their constituents and hospitals. More than 71 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid, which provides health coverage to low-income people.
