Politics
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U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and several other Republican senators are worried that language in a budget resolution facing upcoming votes may require cuts to Medicaid.
The Senate voted late Thursday to proceed with debate on the budget resolution that features House Republican language calling for the committee overseeing Medicaid to “reduce the deficit” by at least $880 billion by 2034. Despite her concerns, Collins voted with all Republicans except U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, to kick off debate on the resolution.
While the language does not specifically call for cuts to the health insurance program for low-income children and adults, Collins, the Maine Hospital Association and health policy advocates said reaching the goal would likely necessitate them.
A spokesperson for the senator said she would oppose Medicaid cuts for vulnerable people but would vote to advance the resolution Thursday so it can be debated and changed on the Senate floor.
“I don’t see how you can get to that amount without cutting Medicaid benefits,” Collins told Capitol Hill reporters Thursday.
She noted more than 400,000 Mainers rely on the health care program and that the Legislature’s delay in February and March in filling a $118 million deficit for MaineCare, the state’s version of Medicaid, has hurt rural hospitals.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said last month he was not planning on making changes to the budget plan in response to concerns over potential Medicaid cuts. President Donald Trump has insisted he won’t cut Medicaid, Social Security or Medicare benefits while eyeing up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts that Democrats argue would primarily benefit the wealthy.
House Republicans also are not in favor of a Senate GOP budget blueprint that would allow roughly $5.3 trillion in tax cuts, with fiscal hawks saying it would add too much to the national debt.
“Look, everybody needs to understand that the resolution is merely the starting point for the process,” Johnson said. “So there’s nothing specific about Medicaid in the resolution. The legislation comes later, so this is the important first start.”
Hospital and health care interest groups have not bought that line, with a few other Republican senators reportedly in that same camp. Maine Hospital Association lobbyist Jeff Austin said Thursday that “all of the votes so far are pointing to significant Medicaid cuts.”
Austin said Maine hospitals are already struggling amid the MaineCare shortfall not getting filled until June, which has resulted in delayed payments to providers and MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta announcing the layoffs of 100 employees.
“I think people are under the impression that hospital services won’t go away,” Austin added. “They are wrong.”