A sweeping budget bill backed by President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans is projected to strip health insurance from nearly 12 million Americans over the next decade, according to a nonpartisan analysis released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Saturday. The CBO’s assessment estimates that 11.8 million people would become uninsured by 2034 if the Senate’s version of the bill becomes law.

The legislation, which narrowly advanced in the Senate with a 51-49 vote, proposes historic cuts to Medicaid and significantly scales back key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), marking what analysts describe as the most dramatic rollback of federal health coverage in modern U.S. history. The CBO’s report indicates that the bill would add approximately $3.3 trillion to the national deficit over a decade.

Key components of the bill contributing to the projected loss of coverage include more than $1.1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Obamacare over the next decade, with Medicaid alone accounting for over $1 trillion of those reductions. These proposed cuts are expected to disproportionately impact low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities, as Medicaid currently covers over 71 million Americans.

The legislation also introduces strict new work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid, including parents of children as young as 14, and imposes new co-payments for Medicaid services. Additionally, it reduces federal support for Medicaid expansion and alters tax credits that assist millions in affording ACA plans. Experts warn that these changes could severely affect states in the South and West, where uninsured rates are already higher.

The proposed budget has ignited sharp divisions within the Republican Party, with some fiscal conservatives pushing for even deeper reductions, while others have expressed concerns about the potential impact on their constituents and local hospitals. Democrats have uniformly opposed the measure, utilizing Senate rules to delay a final vote and issuing strong warnings about the bill’s anticipated consequences for American families.

By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com