Federal Issues

Understanding Harmful Federal Proposals and Advocating to Protect Medicaid

The new administration in Washington and some members of Congress have proposed drastic changes to the Medicaid program. Consumer advocates and others believe Medicaid block grants, per-capita caps, work requirements and changes to the federal financial commitment provided to states would be devastating to state Medicaid programs, Medicaid consumers, and the safety-net providers that serve them.

Medicaid Matters has produced a series of Medicaid fact sheets by Congressional district to highlight the importance of Medicaid to New Yorkers and the impact cuts would have in each district. Find our statewide fact sheet, published in June 2025, here.

All sources for data in the above fact sheets can be found here.

Additional district-specific fact sheets by FamiliesUSA: NY-1, Rep. Nick LaLota, NY-2, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, NY-11, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis

Medicaid Matters sent a letter to the NY Congressional delegation on February 13, 2025. Find the letter here.

Medicaid Matters joined a broad-based letter to the New York Congressional delegation in January 2025 to urge them to protect Medicaid. Find the letter here. An additional letter was sent from several NY-based organizations in April 2025. Find that letter here. After passage of the reconciliation bill, Medicaid Matters and the broad-based stakeholder group sent a letter to the House delegation in July 2025 to express dismay at its passage and presented recommendations for policy changes to mitigate its impact.

Medicaid Matters co-hosted a webinar with Health Care for All New York on the House budget reconciliation health care cuts on May 19, 2025. Find the presentation here.

Here are resources and news articles to explain the issues and why we must take action to protect Medicaid:

NYS presentation for advocates on impacts of the Republican budget reconciliation plan on New York State, including House district-specific data, June 2025

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on the Impact of House Republican Budget Bill to New York State’s Health Care Economy, May 2025

The Devastating Harms of House Republicans’ Big, ‘Beautiful’ Bill by State and Congressional District, Center for American Progress, May 2025

Medicaid Cutbacks Could Trigger Healthcare Crisis for Millions in New York, NY Focus article, May 2025

Protect Medicaid Funding and Coverage, Association for Community Affiliated Plans memo, May 2025

Medicaid Cuts Would Threaten Rural Hospitals, Center for American Progress article, April 2025

Cutting through the Noise on Congressional Medicaid Cuts, Fiscal Policy Institute report, April 2025

Responding to Republicans Claims about Waste, Fraud and Abuse, Health Care for America Now, April 2025

Even if you don’t depend on Medicaid, you’ll likely be hurt if Republicans cut it, op-ed by Health & Medicine Policy Research Group and Legal Council for Health Justice, April 2025

Medicaid is Vital to New York, Georgetown Center for Children and Families, February 2025

No Medicaid Cuts: The Republican Plan for Medicaid Will Harm New York, Minority US Senate Finance Committee Special Subcommittee on Aging

Medicaid Defense – Resources and Analysis, National Health Law Program webpage

What Makes Medicaid, Medicaid?, National Health Law Program series, updated January 2025

Medicaid Matters: To People, Our Economy and the Health Care System, FamiliesUSA fact sheet, January 2025

Why Medicaid Cuts Could Be a “Crisis” for People with Disabilities, STAT News, January 2025

More Than 300 Organizations Urge New Congress to Protect and Strengthen Medicaid, FamiliesUSA press release, January 2025

Cutting Federal Medicaid Funding: 8 Key Consequences That Everyone Should be Talking About, from The 80 Million blog (by Manatt Health), December 2024

What’s Next: A Critical Post-Election Conversation on Health Care, webinar hosted by FamiliesUSA, November 2024

Medicaid Threats in the Upcoming Congress, brief by Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, December 2024

Cutting Medicaid Harms Older Adults No Matter How It’s Sliced, fact sheet by Justice in Aging, December 2024

Medicaid’s Role in Small Towns and Rural Areas, Georgetown Center for Children and Families report, January 2025

The Truth About Fraud Against Medicaid, Georgetown Center for Children and Families blog post, January 2025

5 Key Facts About Medicaid Program Integrity – Fraud, Waste, Abuse and Improper Payments, KFF issues brief, March 2025

A Cut to Medicaid is a Cut to Medicare, fact sheet by Medicare Rights Center, Justice in Aging, Center for Medicare Advocacy, and Community Catalyst, February 2025

Medicaid Cuts Hurt State Economies, National Health Law Program issue brief, February 2025

Block Grants and Spending Caps


Work Requirements


Impacts on Children


Resources and news articles to explain the issues and why we must take action to protect Medicaid:

Impact of Federal Policy Making on New York

Resources from our National Partners