GOP Tax Bill Proposes Historic Cuts to Food Stamp Program, Sparking Concerns over Hunger and Economic Impact
May 22, 2025
Calculator and pen on the table | Source: Pexels
House GOP Bill Threatens Health Coverage for Millions, Cbo and Policy Experts Warn
Millions of Americans could lose health insurance under the House Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to analyses by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and independent health policy experts.
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The bill proposes steep cuts to federal health programs including Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in part to fund nearly $4 trillion in tax cuts prioritized by former President Donald Trump. The CBO estimates that approximately 11 million people would lose health coverage, including 4 million due to the expiration of ACA subsidies the bill fails to extend.
A white lightbox with the word "TAXES" | Source: Pexels
“This would be the biggest retraction in health insurance that we’ve ever experienced,” said Alice Burns, associate director at KFF.
The legislation introduces work requirements for Medicaid recipients aged 19 to 64 in states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA. These requirements could prompt 5.2 million adults to lose federal Medicaid coverage, the CBO reports, with 4.8 million projected to remain uninsured.
“No population, frankly, is safe from a bill that cuts more than $800 billion over 10 years from Medicaid,” said Allison Orris of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The bill also ends the use of health provider taxes for state Medicaid funding, delays enrollment reforms, and reduces federal support for states covering undocumented immigrants. In total, Burns projects 10.3 million would lose Medicaid coverage, resulting in 7.8 million becoming uninsured.
Calculator and pen on the table | Source: Pexels
ACA marketplaces face added pressure. The bill shortens enrollment periods, ends automatic re-enrollment, and requires stricter eligibility verification. It also removes caps on subsidy repayment, potentially burdening low-income families.
Further, beginning in 2027, the bill would exclude many lawfully present immigrants, including refugees and DACA recipients, from subsidized ACA coverage.
“These changes,” said health policy professor John Graves, “add red tape and make insurance harder to access for the most vulnerable.”
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