AXIOS August 5, 2024
Conservatives are targeting the hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending that’s led to the highest insured rate in U.S. history — and no program is more in the crosshairs than Medicaid.
Why it matters: The Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid for low-income adults helped drive enrollment to nearly 75 million people as of April.
- But the safety-net health program now costs more than $800 billion annually, with the federal government footing about 70% of the bill.
State of play: Former President Trump’s presidential policy platform is conspicuously silent on Medicaid while he’s pledged not to touch Medicare or Social Security.
- Still, conservative groups from the Republican Study Committee to the Paragon Health Institute to...