H.R. 1’s Impact on Medicare and Opportunities for State-level Advocacy

H.R. 1, the federal budget reconciliation law passed in July, made sweeping cuts to health care and will result in millions of people losing their health insurance. In addition to the largest Medicaid cut in the program’s history, H.R. 1 has significant impacts on Medicare, including reductions in eligibility for immigrants who have paid into the system and long-term programmatic changes that will contribute to higher out-of-pocket costs for lower income Medicare members and individuals who rely on certain high-cost drugs. With Medicare open enrollment—the annual period during which members can make changes to their coverage—currently underway, this issue of Health Care in Motion highlights some of H.R. 1’s anticipated impacts on health care costs and access for Medicare members and policy opportunities for states to help mitigate harm.

Read our latest Health Care in Motion for more information about what health programs and services are impacted.