Medicaid Cuts Could Cause 30,000 Deaths a Year, Group Warns

Source: Newsweek

Published Apr 23, 2025 at 10:43 AM EDT


Republican plans to reduce the federal contribution to Medicaid expansion could lead to tens of thousands of additional deaths, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress (CAP).

Why It Matters

As of October, more than 72 million people across the country had health coverage through Medicaid, including children, the elderly and people with disabilities—although coverage varies widely by state, both in terms of benefits and eligibility criteria. While President Donald Trump has vowed not to slash Medicaid, and polling indicates that the majority of Americans view the program favorably, House Republicans passed a budget resolution earlier this month that analysts said would result in unavoidable cuts to the health care program.

The budget reconciliation bill does not directly mention cuts to Medicaid, but it instructs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid, to slash the Department of Health and Human Services' budget by $880 billion over 10 years—sparking concerns about cuts to the nation's largest health insurance program.

What To Know

On Wednesday, CAP reported that if Congress reduced the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) and states reacted by ending their Medicaid expansions in 2026, an estimated 15.9 million people would lose their coverage. Of those, 10.8 million would become uninsured, CAP said, citing estimates from the Urban Institute. The think tank also referenced a 2017 study by health economist Benjamin D. Sommers that found Medicaid expansion was linked to saving one life annually for every 239 to 316 adults who gained insurance. "Applying the more conservative end of Sommers' range to Urban's projection of 10.8 million more uninsured, CAP estimates that cutting the enhanced FMAP for expansion enrollees would lead to about 34,200 deaths each year," the report said.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/medicaid-cuts-cause-30000-deaths-year-group-warns-2063010