“CMS should add flexibility to eliminate obsolete mandatory and optional benefit requirements and, for able-bodied recipients, eliminate benefit mandates that exceed those in the private market. This should include flexibility to redesign eligibility, financing, and service delivery of long-term care to serve the most vulnerable and truly needy and eliminate middle-income to upper-income Medicaid recipients.”
Citation: Project 2025, Section 3.5: Department of Health and Human Services, Roger Severino, page 500, paragraph 6
Context:
This one requires some unpacking to fully explain.
To sum up, able-bodied Medicaid recipients could lose access to their benefits, leading to gaps in health care coverage and care quality. Fewer people would qualify for Medicaid in the first place, potentially leaving millions without affordable care options. Wealthier individuals may face greater financial burdens for long-term care, either needing to purchase private insurance or pay out of pocket for care that Medicaid no longer covers. By cutting benefits and tightening eligibility, this approach could disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, leading to greater healthcare disparities.
Full contextual analysis of Section 3.5: Department of Health and Human Services here.
Categories: Health Care, Medicare/Medicaid