House GOP Unveils Medicaid Work Requirements Amid Spending Cuts

House Republicans have unveiled a plan to reduce Medicaid spending by instituting work requirements and increasing the frequency of eligibility checks, targeting able-bodied recipients aged 19 to 64, while excluding pregnant women and individuals with disabilities. The proposal aims to find over $880 billion in savings to help finance President Donald Trump's tax cut agenda, but it avoids deeper cuts such as capping per-person federal spending or significantly lowering federal match rates, which appeases more moderate GOP members. The plan also seeks to reduce federal reimbursements to states that provide Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants and bars funding for gender transition procedures for minors. While GOP leaders present the changes as protecting coverage for vulnerable groups like children and the disabled, critics warn that frequent eligibility verification could lead to coverage loss among those facing logistical challenges. The proposal reflects a compromise to balance conservative demands for spending cuts with concerns about political viability and potential Democratic criticism. However, fiscal conservatives within the party are expected to push back, arguing the plan does not go far enough in overhauling Medicaid.