National Taxpayers Union urges all Senators to vote “YES” on Senator Rick Scott’s Amendment #2554 to H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Co-sponsored by Senators Crapo, Johnson, Lee, and Lummis, this measure makes reasonable, cost-saving changes to the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP). This amendment will help restrain the uncontrollable growth rate in federal spending on the medical care of able-bodied Americans in Obamacare Medicaid Expansion states, thereby protecting future care for truly vulnerable Americans in all states.
If passed, this amendment will, in 2031, move Medicaid reimbursement levels in Expansion states to the traditional Medicaid levels in all states. Able-bodied Americans will no longer receive a higher level of Medicaid spending support than vulnerable Americans, including children, pregnant women, seniors, and the disabled. Grandfathered Expansion enrollees—largely able-bodied Americans who should be able to afford health care on their own—will still receive the 90% FMAP unless they disenroll for more than one month.
Under current law, taxpayers are on the hook for runaway federal spending on Medicaid. In the next 10 years, the expanded enrollee population will cause taxpayers to spend over 50% more on Medicaid by 2034. It is unfair to ask hardworking Americans who pay their own bills for health care to also pay out billions more for the medical bills of those who can pay their own way. It is time to stop paying more for Medicaid expansion enrollees than the traditional Medicaid population. We urge the Senate to support Senator Rick Scott’s amendment to equalize the Medicaid payments of able-bodied Americans with those received by traditional Medicaid recipients.
Roll call votes on this legislation will be weighted in NTU’s annual Rating of Congress and “YES” votes will be considered the pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU’s Senior Policy Manager David Timmons at dtimmons@ntu.org.