'Might seem shocking': Analysis outlines how Trump agenda also targets Americans on Medicare

16 June

U.S. President Donald Trump attends the Congressional Picnic at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

President Donald Trump and his allies are insisting that his One Big, Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 — which narrowly passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, 215-214, and is now being considered in the U.S. Senate — won't hurt Medicaid in a significant way and is only targeting "waste, fraud and abuse." According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), however, the bill's Medicaid cuts will cause millions of Americans to lose their health insurance if it becomes law.

Trump also claims that the megabill doesn't touch Medicare at all. But Jonathan Cohn, in an article published by the conservative website The Bulwark on June 15, warns that the legislation, if it passes in the U.S. Senate in its current form, will hurt the Medicare recipients who need it the most.

"Republicans say the health care cuts in their One Big Beautiful Bill wouldn't touch Medicare," Cohn explains. "That is not true. One reason is the bill's projected fiscal effects. Thanks to all the tax cuts, the legislation would likely increase deficits enough to trigger automatic spending reductions that, under the terms of a 2010 law, would include cuts to Medicare."

Cohn continues, "But the claim is also not true for another reason: One of the more important health care cuts in the legislation would affect Medicare beneficiaries. And not just any Medicare beneficiaries. I'm talking about some of the most vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities who are on Medicare — the ones who can least afford to deal with punishing medical bills."

According to Cohn, Trump's "big, beautiful bill" would hurt Medicare recipients not because of a "straight-up reduction in benefits or restriction in eligibility," but rather, a "change in the enrollment process for a particular program within Medicaid called the 'Medicare Savings Program.'"

"Yes, you read that right: It's a program within Medicaid with the word 'Medicare' in its title," Cohn warns. "But the short of it is that the program, along with a related initiative, plays a critical role in helping vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries cover their medical costs. And thanks to the Republican bill, roughly 1.3 million people who qualify for the assistance wouldn’t get the benefits, according to official estimates."

Cohn adds, "Many would respond by not getting medical care they need, and their health would deteriorate as a result. Thousands could die prematurely every year, according to one estimate that a group of health researchers put together last month. That might seem shocking or hard to believe. But it makes perfect sense to those who understand the program, and to those who work with the Medicare beneficiaries who depend on it. If you speak with some of them — as I did these past two weeks — you can see why they are so worried."

Jonathan Cohn's full article for The Bulwark is available at this link (subscription required).

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