CBO Says Trump Tax Law to Leave 10 Million More Americans Uninsured

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that changes embedded in President Donald Trump’s July 4 tax-and-spending law will leave roughly 10 million more Americans without health insurance over the next decade. The analysis, released 11 August, updates earlier projections and reflects new eligibility restrictions and work requirements for the Medicaid program as well as reduced subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans. Of the projected coverage losses, about 7.5 million people are expected to fall off Medicaid rolls, while 2.1 million are forecast to exit Affordable Care Act marketplaces; another 400,000 would lose insurance for other reasons tied to the legislation. The CBO said nondisabled adults will have to work, volunteer or study to keep Medicaid, and states must verify eligibility twice a year. The budget office also outlined distributional effects of the measure, which extends and expands earlier tax cuts. Households in the lowest income bracket would see their annual resources fall by roughly $1,200, while middle-income households gain between $800 and $1,200. The wealthiest Americans stand to gain about $13,000 a year. Democrats criticized the Republican-backed law as shifting costs to low-income families and threatening hospital finances, while supporters say it promotes work and prolongs tax relief.