House Republican release part of budget bill, which includes changes to Medicaid

House Republicans late Sunday released a key part of their budget bill that includes changes to Medicaid, particularly work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks.

The legislation from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, the federal program that pays for medical services for low-income and disabled Americans, does not include two provisions pushed by conservatives – a reduction in the minimum federal share to states and a per-beneficiary cap on federal Medicaid spending, according to The Hill newspaper. 

Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., argued in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal on Sunday that the bill isn't intended to "attack" Medicaid.

"Undoubtedly, Democrats will use this as an opportunity to engage in fear-mongering and misrepresent our bill as an attack on Medicaid," Guthrie wrote. "In reality, it preserves and strengthens Medicaid for children, mothers, people with disabilities and the elderly—for whom the program was designed."

The bill's provisions for work requirements and a new cost-sharing requirement for certain beneficiaries would force many Medicaid recipients to lose health insurance. The legislation would also prohibit gender-affirming care for minors from being funded by Medicaid, as well as end Medicaid reimbursement for organizations like Planned Parenthood.

States would have to impose “community engagement” requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries from ages 19 to 64 who do not have dependents and are “able bodied,” according to the bill. These people would have to either attend school or volunteer for 80 hours a month.

The Energy committee was told to find $880 billion in savings for the budget bill that President Trump is hoping will pass, and while the bill did not include spending estimates, Guthrie told Republicans on a call that his committee’s portion would save more than $900 billion.