The President

Does Trump's Budget Cut Medicaid Funding? No One Seems To Know

Lawmakers have criticized the budget's impact on Medicaid, with the estimated funding cuts ranging from $600 billion to $1.4 trillion.

Does Trump's Budget Cut Medicaid Funding? No One Seems To Know
Getty Images

Does President Donald Trump's budget cut funding to Medicaid? The White House says no, but some estimate the program's funding will be cut by as much as $1.4 trillion.

"To most people, plain language, slashing Medicaid would mean we spend less next year than we did this year. That's what a slash means, right? That's what you hear? No. That's not true," said Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney.

Trump's budget assumes the Republican health care bill becomes law. And according to the Congressional Budget Office's first analysis, the American Health Care Act cuts Medicaid spending by $880 billion.

The budget also claims reforms to Medicaid will save $610 billion in the next 10 years. Those savings mostly come from changing how the government doles out money to states.

Another Government Shutdown? Here's Why This Keeps Happening
Another Government Shutdown? Here's Why This Keeps Happening

Another Government Shutdown? Here's Why This Keeps Happening

For the past 20 years, Congress has relied more on temporary measures to keep the government running.

LEARN MORE

Add the AHCA's $880 billion cut to the budget's $610 billion in savings, and you've got the $1.4 trillion number that's being thrown around.

What effect would Trump's budget have on Medicaid? We don't really know.

But it's up to Congress to decide what the final budget looks like, and it's likely to look very different from Trump's.