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The Coming War On Medicaid, And Why Its Defenders Could Prevail
HuffPost
History shows trying to cut the program is politically risky. That doesn't mean Trump won't try.
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Those of us who follow Donald Trump’s rhetoric on health care closely know that he has always talked about protecting Medicare while never mentioning Medicaid.
That changed this week, in the Trumpiest way possible.
The program that pays medical bills for more than 70 million low-income Americans has long been a target for Republicans looking to downsize or eliminate federal programs, especially those serving the poor. Trump’s past silence has felt like a reminder that he too wanted to strip funds from the program ― or, at least, that he had no problem with doing so.
Trump certainly seemed to support Medicaid cuts in 2017, when he was pushing hard for legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. Had that legislation passed, it would have slashed Medicaid and, in the process, deprived millions of health insurance.