Michigan Report Details Medicaid Cuts Threatening 500,000 Recipients, Nursing Homes, Rural Hospitals

Proposed Medicaid cuts by House Republicans aiming to reduce federal spending by over $880 billion over ten years pose severe risks to millions of low-income Americans, including up to 500,000 Michiganians who could lose coverage. Michigan officials warn these cuts would devastate vulnerable populations such as seniors, children, and people with disabilities, with nursing homes potentially losing $325 million in funding, threatening care quality and availability. Rural hospitals, already financially strained, face the risk of closure, which would eliminate essential local healthcare access and force residents to travel long distances for care. The cuts could also target supplemental payments to providers and introduce stringent work requirements for Medicaid recipients, adding bureaucratic hurdles and increasing coverage losses. Advocates emphasize that these reductions would not only harm Medicaid recipients but also increase insurance costs for others, with community-based services for seniors and disabled individuals particularly at risk. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and healthcare leaders urge resistance to these proposals, highlighting the critical role of Medicaid in supporting over a quarter of Michigan's population and the broader consequences of such federal policy changes.