The 'Gutting Medicaid' Lie

One of the most persistent myths surrounding Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) is that it “slashes” or “guts” Medicaid. Democrats have repeated the claim endlessly, hoping to stoke fear among voters. But the actual data — from nonpartisan sources — tells a very different story. (Don't miss our 'faith perspective' below).

A recent Issues & Insights analysis highlighted a simple but devastating chart, built from CMS data curated by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It shows what really happened to Medicaid spending during and after Trump’s presidency — and especially in the years surrounding the OBBB.

The Reality: Medicaid Spending Has Grown Every Year

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which tracks official CMS spending figures:

• Medicaid spending rose every year from 2017 to 2023.

• In fiscal year 2023, net Medicaid spending reached approximately $860 billion — an all-time high.

• FY 2024 is projected to show another increase of about 5.5%.

• FY 2025 is expected to grow again, by around 3.9%, even as pandemic-era policies unwind.

Nowhere in this trend is there evidence of a “cut.” The alleged reduction exists only in projections that slow the growth rate of future spending — a far cry from the deep slashes claimed by critics.

What's Actually in the OBBB?

The One Big Beautiful Bill includes provisions aimed at tightening eligibility, reducing fraud, and restoring fiscal sanity to Medicaid — all without reducing care for eligible recipients. The bill targets the bloated automatic enrollments and improper payments that exploded during the COVID emergency period.

Democrats call these reforms “cuts.” But even with these measures, Medicaid spending is still rising — just more responsibly.

Conclusion

It’s time to bury the lie: The One Big Beautiful Bill does not cut Medicaid. Anyone who says otherwise is either misinformed — or intentionally misleading you. The CMS numbers, visualized clearly in the KFF chart, are unambiguous.

Let the data speak louder than the politics.

Faith Perspective
Exodus 18:21 gives us a timeless standard for leadership: choose individuals who are capable, fear God, love truth, and reject corruption. When applied to government, this verse reminds us that leadership isn’t just about power — it’s about moral integrity and competence.

In the context of the Medicaid debate and the One Big Beautiful Bill, this verse challenges us to judge leaders not by slogans or smear campaigns, but by their character, wisdom, and results. A government that stewards resources wisely, tells the truth, and reforms broken systems is exactly what Scripture calls for — and exactly what the data reveals in this case.