Mystery $844B pot in Trump budget signals Medicaid cuts
Mystery $844B pot in Trump budget signals Medicaid cuts
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
https://apnews.com/3e110d8d879be2b98d0a14d85412f8e3
February 10, 2020
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s budget contains an $844 billion mystery pot for his still undefined health care plan, signaling steep cuts to Medicaid and “Obamacare.”
That 10-year number represents hypothetical savings that would be used for a health care plan Trump has been promising since he was a candidate. His election-year budget released Monday repeats the pledge, but details again remain elusive.
The budget comes against the backdrop of a presidential contest in which health care consistently polls as a top issue for voters. Despite the strong economy, the number of uninsured people has edged up under Trump, and his eventual Democratic opponent is likely to have a plan to put the nation on a path to coverage for all. Meanwhile, the White House is supporting a lawsuit to overturn the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing coverage for some 20 million people, as well as protections for those with pre-existing medical conditions.
The $844 billion savings number “is a place-holder for their health care agenda,” said Marc Goldwein, senior policy director for the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “They are assuming a whole lot of savings without specifics at this point.” His organization advocates for reducing trillion-dollar government deficits.
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