Health care, social programs on the chopping block

Make Me Smart

Every day this week, we’ll take a look at the ripple effects of the budget reconciliation bill moving through Congress that would enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. Today, we focus on the bill’s impact on health care and social programs. We explain how the Senate’s version of the reconciliation bill cuts Medicaid more aggressively than the House of Representatives’ previous version. Then, we hear from a listener about how the bill’s Medicaid cuts could affect the hospitals they work with, particularly in underserved rural areas. Plus, we answer a listener question about how states would absorb the costs of the bill’s federal funding cuts.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Senate Bill Would Make Deep Cuts to Medicaid, Setting Up Fight With House” from The New York Times
• “Hundreds of rural hospitals at risk if Medicaid cuts pass, Democrats say” from Healthcare Dive
• “2025 Budget Impacts: House Bill Would Cut Assistance and Raise Costs for Seniors” from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• “GOP bill would have states picking up more of the tab for programs like Medicaid and SNAP” from Marketplace
• “How Would Potential Federal Budget Cuts Impact State Budgets?” from Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
• “What are the Implications of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill for Hospitals?” from KFF

Got a question for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.