(NewsNation) — Cutting federal spending is one of the many goals President-elect Donald Trump has for his second term in the White House.
Although Trump has not explicitly outlined his plans for Medicaid, some suspect he may try to slash funding.
72.4 million people were enrolled in Medicaid as of July, according to the program’s most recent report.
Possible changes to Medicaid
The KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that researches health care issues, points to Trump’s first term as an indication of what’s to come in his second term.
The Trump administration could choose not to implement or rewrite recent regulations on Medicaid under the Biden administration.
The current administration finalized multiple Medicaid regulations, including increasing provider rate transparency, strengthening standards for timely access to care, requiring minimum staffing standards for nursing facilities and streamlining the enrollment and renewal processes.
The rules will be implemented over several years.
“The Trump administration could delay implementation of certain provisions, which would reduce regulation of managed care companies, nursing facilities, and other providers while rolling back enrollee protections, payment transparency, and improved access,” the KFF wrote. “Alternatively, the Trump administration could issue new regulations that would undo these final regulations.”
Critics suspect Trump may make it harder for people to qualify for Medicaid.
He could implement eligibility verification processes in between annual renewal periods, which would require states to conduct periodic data checks, and he could change the renewal procedures, which would make it harder for some to renew their coverage, “while providing greater certainty that people who are ineligible do not obtain coverage,” according to KFF.
“Beyond waivers, regulations, and enrollment policy, if the Republicans gain control of both the House and the Senate, Trump could work with Congress to enact legislation that would more fundamentally change the financing structure of Medicaid and make significant cuts to federal Medicaid spending, similar to policies Trump has supported in the past,” KFF wrote on Nov. 8.
Republicans now have control of the House and Senate.
Obamacare
In his first term, Trump attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which was enacted under the Obama Administration and expanded Medicaid and health care access to previously uninsured people.
Trump has switched gears and said he will keep ACA, also known as Obamacare, but will make changes.
“I have concepts of a plan. I’m not president right now. But if we come up with something I would only change it if we come up with something better and less expensive,” Trump said in the only presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris in September. “There are concepts and options we have to do that. And you’ll be hearing about it in the not-too-distant future.”
Medicaid funding
Trump has vowed to protect Medicare, which is a federal program that provides health coverage to people older than 65 and people with certain disabilities.
“Under no circumstances should Republicans vote to cut a single penny from Medicare or Social Security,” Trump said on his campaign website last year.
He has been less specific on his plans for Medicaid, which provides health insurance to low-income people and families.
“His unpredictability and tendency to break with orthodox views has made it challenging for a variety of health care stakeholders to prepare if Trump is reelected,” said Dr. Lanhee J. Chen in the Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum. “But looking at the many health policy actions he undertook during his four years in office gives a sense of the policies he would likely pursue if reelected in November.”