This is What Desperation Looks Like
Segment #536
BREAKING: Hakeem Jeffries just went full alarm bell on the House floor, torching Trump and Republicans over the Big Beautiful Bill: “People will DIE! Tens of thousands! Perhaps year after year! This is a CRIME SCENE!”
The Facts: Here are the changes to Medicaid and Medicare made by the Big Beautiful Bill that the Dems are not talking about. When facts are inconvenient, your only recourse is scaring the hell out of everybody. It has been their primary strategy with climate change, immigration policy, and law enforcement.
MEDICAID
The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" introduces several significant changes to Medicaid eligibility rules, particularly targeting adults covered under the ACA Medicaid expansion. Here are the key new requirements and changes:
1. Work Requirements
Most adults aged 19–64 in the Medicaid expansion group must complete 80 hours per month of qualifying activities (work, volunteering, education, or job training) to qualify for and maintain Medicaid coverage
Exemptions are limited and include:
American Indians
Veterans with disabilities
Medically frail individuals
Parents of a dependent child under age 14 or a disabled individual
States will verify compliance at least every six months, with the option to check more frequently
2. More Frequent Eligibility Redeterminations
All Medicaid recipients must now prove eligibility twice a year (every six months), instead of annually
This specifically applies to ACA expansion enrollees starting in 2027
3. Home Equity Cap
Applicants with home equity over $1 million are ineligible for Medicaid, with this cap not indexed to inflation. Previously, states set their own limits, usually between $730,000 and $1,097,000, and these were indexed to inflation
4. Cost-Sharing for Expansion Adults
Expansion adults with incomes above the poverty level may face cost-sharing up to $35 per visit for most services
5. Restrictions for Undocumented Immigrants
The federal match rate (FMAP) is reduced for emergency care costs for undocumented immigrants and for states that fund care for undocumented immigrants exclusively with state dollars
6. Enhanced Administrative Oversight
States must implement new eligibility and enrollment systems, with increased federal funding for administrative costs to support these new requirements
7. Removal of Ineligible Enrollees
The bill includes measures to prevent Medicaid payments to deceased individuals, moving up eligibility verification requirements to January 1, 2027
Projected Impact
The Congressional Budget Office estimates these changes will result in millions losing Medicaid coverage, with about 7.8 million more uninsured by 2034 due to these Medicaid provisions alone
Previous state-level experiments with work requirements led to significant disenrollment without increasing employment rates
These changes are expected to reduce federal Medicaid spending and shift more costs to states, providers, and individuals, particularly in states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA
MEDICARE
The "Big Beautiful Bill" introduces several new eligibility rules for Medicare, focusing primarily on immigration status, while keeping the traditional age and work history requirements unchanged. Here are the key changes:
1. Immigration Status and Medicare Eligibility
The bill eliminates Medicare eligibility for undocumented immigrants. Only certain non-citizens will remain eligible, specifically:
Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs)
Certain Cuban immigrants
Individuals from nations with a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. (Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau)
The Senate version further expands eligibility to include certain immigrants from Haiti, in addition to the above groups
For those currently receiving Medicare but who would become ineligible under these new rules, benefits would be terminated no later than 18 months after the bill’s enactment
2. Age and Work Requirements
The standard age (65+) and work history (10 years of covered employment) requirements for Medicare eligibility remain the same. There are no changes to these core criteria
3. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Medicare
The House version allows individuals who are enrolled in Medicare Part A and still working to continue contributing to HSAs, which was previously not allowed. This provision does not appear in the Senate version
4. Verification and Fraud Prevention
The bill includes provisions to verify eligibility more strictly and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, but these primarily affect premium tax credits and Medicaid rather than Medicare directly
In summary: The Big Beautiful Bill narrows Medicare eligibility for non-citizens, clarifies exclusions, and introduces an HSA provision for working seniors (House version only), but does not change the age or work history requirements for Medicare