Trump Warns Holdout Republicans To Stop Messing With Medicaid
Modern Healthcare reports that the president issued the message — using stronger language — during a private meeting with Republican lawmakers Tuesday. Other news on the megabill and Medicaid covers med school loans, ACA enrollment, GLP-1s, and more.
Modern Healthcare:
Trump Warns GOP Hardliners: 'Don't F*** Around With Medicaid'
President Donald Trump warned holdout House Republicans not to tank his top legislative priority by demanding deeper Medicaid cuts during a private session with GOP lawmakers Tuesday. According to Republicans who attended the meeting in the Capitol basement, Trump offered a simple message to hard-line conservatives threatening to vote against the bill: "Don't f*** around with Medicaid." (McAuliff, 5/20)
Politico:
Republicans Close In On 'Big, Beautiful' Deal
House leaders are rushing to notch a deal with the various factions ahead of a scheduled 1 a.m. Rules Committee meeting, where the bill will be readied for floor consideration. Johnson has imposed a Memorial Day deadline for a final House vote and is holding out hope that things could be wrapped up as soon as Wednesday. (Bade and Hill, 5/20)
The New York Times:
Chip Roy, Demanding More Spending Cuts, Reprises Role As Ringleader Of G.O.P. Rebels
The Texas Republican is leading the conservative revolt against what his party calls its “big, beautiful bill.” Whether he will dig in or relent could determine the measure’s fate. (Edmondson, 5/20)
Axios:
Tax Bill Would Cut Availability Of Med School Loans Amid Doctor Shortage
A little-discussed provision on student loan policies in President Trump's massive budget bill would restrict borrowing for medical school and possibly exacerbate the country's physician shortage. (Goldman, 5/21)
Fierce Healthcare:
Catholic Health System Leaders Sound Alarm About Medicaid Cuts
Cutting funds to Medicaid will have a significant impact on people's access to care, a group of Catholic, nonprofit health systems said this week. In a Tuesday briefing hosted by the Catholic Health Association of the United States featuring members from Trinity Health, SSM Health, Providence and Ascension, hospital leaders referred to the “moral imperative” that they and Congress share to preserve the country’s safety net. (Gliadkovskaya, 5/20)
Fierce Healthcare:
How The DC Megabill Could Help Slash ACA Enrollment By One-Third
Understandably, the legislation plodding through Congress is most closely associated with reductions in Medicaid spending, but there is new scrutiny on how the megabill could impact the state of the health insurance marketplace. Policy observers see the next six months as hugely pivotal, with a series of actions and provisions potentially responsible for cutting enrollment in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange by one-third, said KFF President and CEO Drew Altman. Marketplace enrollment has increased 113% over the last five years to 24.3 million covered individuals. (Tong, 5/20)
KFF Health News:
Trump Won’t Force Medicaid To Cover GLP-1s For Obesity. A Few States Are Doing It Anyway
When Page Campbell’s doctor recommended she try an injectable prescription drug called Wegovy to lose weight before scheduling bariatric surgery, she readily agreed. “I’ve struggled with my weight for so long,” said Campbell, 40, a single mother of two. “I’m not opposed to trying anything.” In early April, about four weeks after she’d started taking Wegovy, Campbell said she hadn’t experienced any side effects, such as nausea or bowel irritation. (Sausser, 5/21)
KFF Health News:
3 Things To Watch On Mental Health In Trump’s Early Budget Proposals
Since President Donald Trump released his 2026 budget blueprint in early May, calling for $163 billion in federal spending cuts, much of the attention has focused on his slashing of foreign aid and boosting of border security. But the proposal also holds important clues — amid some mixed messages — about the administration’s approach to two pressing public health issues: mental health and addiction. (Pattani, 5/21)
