Senate Budget Bill Risks $1.4T Cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Millions Affected

President Donald Trump's budget bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” passed by the Senate, could trigger nearly $500 billion in automatic cuts to Medicare due to increased federal deficits and the sequestration process. This potential reduction threatens millions of seniors, including over 1.8 million in Georgia and 1.1 million in South Carolina, who rely heavily on Medicare for their health coverage, with experts warning of narrowed services, higher premiums, and loss of qualifications. Additionally, the bill proposes up to $930 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next decade, raising concerns among nursing home operators and advocates about reduced staffing, tightened eligibility, and overall harm to vulnerable populations, including adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. State-level impacts are also emerging, such as the proposed cuts in North Carolina's budget to the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), which provides critical free counseling to seniors on Medicare choices, potentially leaving many without unbiased assistance. Lawmakers could prevent these automatic cuts by voting to override sequestration, a move done in past budget crises, but it remains uncertain whether such action will be taken. The Senate bill now returns to the House, where further amendments and debates are expected amid concerns from members across the political spectrum.