The Democratic push to significantly expand Medicaid over the past few years has transformed the program into something barely recognised.

The series of reports outlines an increasing list of issues in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This includes inappropriate payments, healthcare funds where medical expenses are used for non-medical expenses, and healthy adults receiving funds for Americans who desperately need it. Former President Joe Biden’s CMS Expansion Medicaid’s only Medicaid bounty during his term, Medicaid spending increased from $734 Billion Up to $871.7 at the beginning of his term Billion 2023.

“The big things that are missing [Medicaid’s] Edmund Haislmaier, healthcare policy expert at the Heritage Foundation, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Medicaid was originally set up to cover what we call vulnerable subscribers. Essentially, people who were unable to work and could not expect other sources of income. [medical] coverage. So you’re talking about poor children, low-income elderly people, people with disabilities. That is the central focus and has been expanded to include poor pregnant women over the years. What happened with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is that it has been expanded even further. [Medicaid] Include healthy adults below a certain income level. ”

a Regulations Under the ACA, signed into law by former President Barack Obama in March 2010, it called for Medicaid to expand to adults under the age of 65 to provide compensation to adults under the age of 65 with up to 138% of federal poverty levels. As of May 2023, approximately 35 million healthy adults were enrolled in the Medicaid program. According to Estimates from the Government’s Accountability Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Similarly, the Obama administration has also wiped out the expansion to Medicare coverage along with Medicaid. abolition The 2014 rules prevent Medicare from funding gender reassignment surgeries. The Obama administration also expanded coverage of sex change procedures in 2016. Section 1557ACA’s non-discriminatory provisions pavement How to use a Medicaid fund Used In Fund Sex change operations in certain states in recent years.

Relatedly, from January 2018 to September 2023, 16 states poured more than $165 million to fund so-called “gender transition services.”

“The argument we and others are making is, “Look, why is the federal government giving the state more money to cover people who have other options, such as getting jobs and getting compensation personally, and giving less money for those who need it the most, like people with disabilities,” added Heismeyer. “It should be fixed in reform.”

Biden also encouraged states to propose a waiver to expand Medicaid coverage during their presidency, resulting in the CMS approved several state requests to use Medicaid funds to pay for medical costs for some individuals, such as rent, air conditioning and food. April 2024, the federal government Approved Requests from Massachusetts Use Medicaid funds to pay for eligible families and pregnant individuals who are MassHealth members who reside in the emergency shelter system for up to six months of temporary housing.

Within weeks of Biden’s presidency, his administration’s CMS also granted Vermont’s approval to use Medicaid funds to cover rent costs for some homeless individuals in the state. (Related: Exclusive: Medicaid expansion aimed at stopping the opioid crisis may make it worse,” a new report found.

For 2025, the Medicaid program is projected to cost approximately $656 million. According to To the Congressional Budget Office.

In particular, the US spends more on per-person health care than any other country, and health expenditures per person Costing In 2022 it was $12,555, which was over $4,000 in any other country. Inappropriate Medicaid payment rates in 2024 It was 5.09% – or $311 billion, but 79.11% of that resulted in insufficient documentation. According to On the CMS.

House Republicans on February 25th advanced a budget resolution calling for a significant cut in federal government-wide spending, but Congress has yet to make any specific proposals, including Medicaid. Many Democrats have repeatedly said that Medicaid funding by Republican lawmakers risks potential cuts despite President Donald Trump’s recent emphasis on not wanting to see a dramatic change in the program.

House Republicans distributed it by the Means and Means Committee. list of Possible Medicaid funding cuts In recent weeks, potential cuts have largely focused on removing illegal immigrants from eligibility, claiming that they could save up to $35 billion over a decade.

Trump I said During a February 14 interview, Fox News’ Sean Hannity was found to misuse the program, except that Medicaid was “untouched” except for cases of fraud and illegal immigration. Still, democratic lawmakers continue claim Medicaid funds have been at risk in recent weeks.

Democrat minority leader Hakeem Jeffries claimed on February 27th post In X, some Americans “teared” healthcare for Republican budget agendas. Additionally, in Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, several Democrats tried to protest the speech by holding signs that read “Save Medicaid.”

The Biden-Harris administration has largely sided with huge government spending. This argues that some economists have contributed in part to the rapidly growing federal deficit in the US and widespread inflation. Trump has eliminated unnecessary spending and waste in federal agencies as the basis of the president’s agenda as part of a broader effort to save American taxpayers money.

In light of Biden’s Medicaid expansion, Republican lawmakers have been calling for dramatic reforms from CMS over recent weeks, including Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy, who argued on February 26th. post X also points out that Medicaid is being “abused” by individuals who may “bet on the system,” and Congress has “reformed” program liability.

Similarly, Republican Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall wrote on social media on February 27th. post It’s the United States “We must return Medicaid to its intentional purpose of helping people exposed to hopeless needs,” North Carolina Republican Rep. Greg Murphy wrote on social media Thursday, writing Thursday. post Its possible reforms to Medicaid are to “prohibit healthy individuals from abusing programs and states like California that are sorting out Medicaid homes.”

“Republicans weren’t that good about reforms. [Medicaid] Haislmaier told DCNF. “They’re doing more about budget cuts. What they need to do with this isn’t to approach it as a budget issue. They need to approach it as “how do we reform this program and serve those who need it?” And frankly, to get rid of those who don’t need it from it. ”

The CMS did not respond to requests for comment from DCNF.

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