Medicare-related News

In this article in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, KFF's Tricia Neuman, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek and Juliette Cubanski examine three isssues facing Medicare’s future: privatization, affordability and spending/financing.

Proposed changes in eligibility rules in both SNAP and Medicaid may jeopardize some people’s access to both adequate food and health care if various provisions of the bill take effect, in part because there is a significant overlap in eligibility requirements for Medicaid and SNAP across states. Four in 10 (40%) Medicaid enrollees receive SNAP benefits.

The Trump Administration and Congress are moving quickly to pass legislation that could have significant implications for health coverage of older Americans. The House-passed reconciliation bill awaiting action by the full Senate, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, includes several provisions that would affect health insurance coverage and well-being of older adults ages 50 and older, including those who are covered by Medicare.

People with low incomes and limited financial resources can qualify for the Medicare Savings Programs, through which state Medicaid programs provide financial assistance with Medicare premiums and cost sharing. However, provisions in the GOP’s budget reconciliation bill would make it harder for people to enroll in these programs. Many people with Medicare are facing a relatively high financial burden associated with paying Part B premiums, and the reconciliation bill could drive that number higher.

On May 22, the House passed a reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would partially pay to extend expiring tax cuts by cutting Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $793 billion over ten years and 10.3 million fewer people would be enrolled in Medicaid in 2034, including 1.3 million people with Medicare, otherwise known as “dual-eligible individuals”.