After the Senate released its own version of the ObamaCare repeal bill, now known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act, the media quickly pounced with a now-routine talking point: the Republican bill will slash Medicaid! People will die from deep cuts to Medicaid! Medicaid as we know it will be destroyed!
These attacks are misleading at best, and deliberate fear-mongering at worst. The GOP healthcare bill does not cut, destroy, slash, or 'any-other-scary-verb' Medicaid. Just look for yourself. The top line numbers from the CBO don't lie.
Under current law - that is, ObamaCare - Medicaid spending is expected to spiral from $393 billion this year to $624 billion in 2026. That's nearly a 50% increase for a program that is already a budget-buster and is growing far faster than the U.S. economy and our national debt can manage.
In contrast, under the GOP's healthcare bill, Medicaid spending is still expected to increase from $393 billion this year to $464 billion in 2026. That's an 18% increase, but it's more in line with regular economic growth and inflation. The below chart from the CBO comparing the two laws makes the trend pretty clear.
Fact Check: No, the GOP Healthcare Bill Does Not 'Slash' or 'Cut' Medicaid
These attacks are misleading at best, and deliberate fear-mongering at worst. The GOP healthcare bill does not cut, destroy, slash, or 'any-other-scary-verb' Medicaid. Just look for yourself. The top line numbers from the CBO don't lie.
Under current law - that is, ObamaCare - Medicaid spending is expected to spiral from $393 billion this year to $624 billion in 2026. That's nearly a 50% increase for a program that is already a budget-buster and is growing far faster than the U.S. economy and our national debt can manage.
In contrast, under the GOP's healthcare bill, Medicaid spending is still expected to increase from $393 billion this year to $464 billion in 2026. That's an 18% increase, but it's more in line with regular economic growth and inflation. The below chart from the CBO comparing the two laws makes the trend pretty clear.
Fact Check: No, the GOP Healthcare Bill Does Not 'Slash' or 'Cut' Medicaid
