What Illinois faces if congressional Republicans slash Medicaid
House Republicans are looking to cut Medicaid benefits in the name of cost savings. More than 25% of the state’s population relies on Medicaid health insurance to cover medical needs. That's more than 3.6 million people in Illinois.
1 in 4 Illinoisans could see cuts to their health care coverage
Big cuts to the federal-state health care insurance program would bring financial pain for Illinois' budget and the state's 3.6 million Medicaid recipients
=50,000 Medicaid recipients
“There's some talk about work requirements and various aspects."
— House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. (Axios)
What would reform look like? Caps and cuts.
House Republicans want to place caps on the funds allocated to states that are designed to reduce funding over time.
Republicans argue Medicaid reform is necessary
We have to have savings. . . .I'm sure Medicaid reform is going to be a part of it.
— House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie, R-Ky. (Axios)
“Without (changes), we will watch this country sadly enter into fiscal collapse."
— House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington, R-Texas (KFF Health News)
Republicans control the House and Senate, and Medicaid reform is expected to be included in one or two budget reconciliation bills that require only simple majorities to pass and avoid the risk of a Senate filibuster.
Funding caps could impact all 3.6 million Illinois Medicaid recipients
862,774 covered under the ACA
They also want to cut the generous Medicaid federal contribution the Affordable Care Act gave more than 800,000 Illinois recipients. The government pays for 90% of this group's coverage compared to just over 50% for the core Medicaid population.
If federal funding goes below 90%, an Illinois trigger law would automatically end coverage for those 862,774 people or the state would have to make cuts to other aspects of Medicaid or unrelated programs to make up for the lost federal dollars. Either way, Illinois must make some tough choices.
862,774 Illinois residents could lose their health care coverage
