Washington, D.C. — On the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, Protect Our Care is releasing a new fact sheet outlining the catastrophic impact the GOP tax bill will have on these life-saving programs. After being the backbone of the American health care system for over half a century, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have cut over $1 trillion from Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), just to hand out massive tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations.
Trump and Republicans’ spending bill made the largest health care cuts in history, throwing our health care system into chaos. Not only will this bill rip health care from more than 15 million hardworking Americans and raise costs for millions more, but it will also put hundreds of rural hospitals, nursing homes, and care facilities across the country at risk of cutting services or closing their doors. While Medicaid cuts are a major focus of these cuts, as they take effect, care will become more expensive and harder to access for people on Medicare. Every American is at risk of coverage loss and higher costs, including low-income seniors, children, people fighting cancer or addiction, veterans, people with disabilities, and caretakers.
“After sixty years of saving lives and improving the well-being of countless Americans, Republicans just took a sledgehammer to Medicare and Medicaid,” said Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse. “Instead of strengthening these bedrock programs for years to come, Republicans gutted them, all so the wealthy can line their pockets even more. Millions of Americans now face soaring health care costs or risk being kicked off their coverage entirely. Donald Trump and Republicans made a conscious, calculated choice to rip away health care coverage for millions of Americans just so the rich can get richer. After 60 years of progress, they’re dragging us backwards, putting politics and profits ahead of people’s lives.”
Background
- Medicaid and Medicare are a lifeline for 134 million Americans. That means around 40 percent of the country is enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, or both.
- Medicaid and Medicare are the foundation of the American health care system. These programs keep a majority of hospitals afloat and cover three-quarters of all nursing home residents, half of all births, and more than 40 percent of our nation’s kids.
- Trump and Republicans In Congress Just Made the Largest Cuts to Health Care In History. The GOP reconciliation package guts Medicaid and Medicare, ripping health care away from millions of hard-working families, and threatens to close hundreds of hospitals, clinics, and care facilities.