It is difficult to open a newspaper or an online news publication without being exposed to a variety of claims about how horrible the BBB ii. Based on the amount of attention paid, the most egregious part of the bill is the claim that it kicks 12-20 million people from the Medicaid program.
For the most part, Republicans have not been as vociferous or as intense in their defense of the BBB as the Democrat opponents of it.
One notable exception is a recent White House press release that debunks most of the myths about this bill, including the one about Medicaid.
“MYTH: The One Big Beautiful Bill “kicks American families off Medicaid.”
FACT: As the President has said numerous times, there will be no cuts to Medicaid. The One Big Beautiful Bill protects and strengthens Medicaid for those who rely on it—pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families—while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. The One Big Beautiful Bill removes illegal aliens, enforces work requirements, and protects Medicaid for the truly vulnerable.”
The proper use of the term “cut” is to describe an action that deprives lawfully qualifying recipients of all or part of their benefits. In this case, the objective is to reduce fraud and abuse, which does not fit the proper definition of a cut.
The one provision that seems to stick in the craw of BBB opponents above all others is the work requirement. But the notion that recipients of government assistance should make themselves useful is not new at all. Over the years we have seen numerous attempts at making abled-bodied assistance recipients to make a contribution to the effort. As early as 1996 then president Clinton signed into law a welfare reform law that included a work requirement for eligibility. He characterized his action as ending welfare as we know it. It is difficult to understand why there is such a furor over such a logical concept.
In a recent article, USA Today has quoted the Kaiser Family Foundation as follows:
“According to the KFF, 92% of Medicaid recipients work full or part-time, or can’t work because of illness, disability, caregiving responsibilities, or school attendance. Many work for low-paying jobs in small companies that do not provide insurance.”
In other words, only 8% of current Medicaid recipients would be affected by the new enforcement of a work requirement.
Furthermore, the KFF has published a chart describing the new requirements.
Any fair-minded person who reads the content of this chart could not help but puzzled by the virulent attack on these provisions of the BBB.
It would be wise and prudent for those who will be running for public office in 2026, especially those running for congress, to make sure they stress the truth about the BBB, especially when it comes to its Medicaid provisions.