Medicaid at 60: Warnings of ‘access at risk’

The 60th anniversary of the creation of Medicare and Medicaid has spurred healthcare leaders to celebrate the historic act while calling on lawmakers to ensure the programs have a future.

Healthcare leaders and elected officials noted the 60th anniversary Wednesday of the date President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation to create the programs.

President Trump and the Republican-led Congress brokered a tax package that brings sweeping changes to Medicaid, and hospitals and healthcare trade groups have lambasted the legislation. They point to projections that nearly 12 million Americans could lose Medicaid coverage over the next decade, while funding cuts to hospitals could lead to some facilities reducing services or closing.

Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, said the creation of Medicare and Medicaid helped tens of millions who “lived in fear of illness.”

But Kahn said he worries about reduced access to those safety net programs.

"Impending cuts to Medicaid and the expiration of the health care tax credits, coupled with continuously threatened Medicare cuts, place millions of Americans' health coverage and access at risk,” Kahn said in a statement.

“As we celebrate the anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, we need a reaffirmation of that promise to ensure the most vulnerable across our country will continue to get the care they expect and deserve," Kahn said.

The Catholic Health Association of the United States, one of the most vocal opponents to changes in Medicaid in the tax package, said in a post on LinkedIn that Medicaid “is not just a health program—it’s a lifeline.”

“Every day, our ministries serve children, older adults, people with disabilities, and families who rely on Medicaid for essential care,” the Catholic association said. “As we celebrate this milestone, we reaffirm our advocacy to strengthen and protect the program for generations to come.”

Children’s hospitals have said the Medicaid cuts will place more pressure on pediatric providers, including more crowding in emergency rooms and staff cuts. Pediatric hospitals serve a high number of patients who rely on Medicaid for coverage, Aimee Ossman, vice president of policy for the Children’s Hospital Association, said in a post on LinkedIn.

“It is critical that the Medicaid program continues to be supported to ensure that all children can access the care they need to grow into healthy adults,” Ossman said in a statement Wednesday.

• Read more: With Medicaid cuts, emergency rooms could get even busier

Brad Woodhouse, president of Protect Our Care, slammed Republicans for cuts in coverage as opposed to bolstering the programs.

“Millions of Americans now face soaring health care costs or risk being kicked off their coverage entirely,” Woodhouse said in a statement. “Donald Trump and Republicans made a conscious, calculated choice to rip away health care coverage for millions of Americans just so the rich can get richer. After 60 years of progress, they’re dragging us backwards, putting politics and profits ahead of people’s lives.”

Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state, posted a message on X that the public should recognize that Republicans have enacted the largest cut to Medicaid and federal support of health care in the nation’s history.

“The fight to reverse these cuts is today and every day until we do,” Murray said.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, also noted the anniversary and the coming cuts to Medicaid.

“Uust weeks ago, Donald Trump made the largest cuts in history to these programs,” Pritzker wrote on X. “We can't stand by as they destroy its legacy — we fight like hell to protect the care millions rely on.”

Healthcare industry leaders and analysts say the tax package places more pressure on states to fund Medicaid programs. States will have to look at raising taxes to support Medicaid programs, which can be problematic with voters, or they’ll have to reduce benefits or the number of people who are covered.

Medicaid enjoys strong popularity with Americans, with 83% of Americans having a favorable opinion of the program, according to a recent KFF poll. The support crosses party lines, including 93% of Democrats, 74% of Republicans, and 83% of independents (83%).