Experts agree that the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ signed off by President Donald Trump in July of 2025 will cause the loss of medical coverage for millions of low-income Americans. Hearing these controversial changes, Skyline students were prompted to share their thoughts on the act.
Medicaid is a governmental health insurance program, providing coverage for medical costs for an estimated 71.1 million low-income Americans. As of now, Medicaid eligibility only requires that an individual’s income falls below the limit. The OBBBA requires more, including that recipients follow an 80-hour monthly work requirement (work, service, or education) and submit forms monthly instead of annually.
Currently, lawfully present immigrants are allowed to qualify for Medicaid. The OBBBA excludes all noncitizens, including refugees, asylum-seekers, and those with deferred action. A Skyline student, who chose to remain anonymous, said this increases the difficulty of immigrants like her parents staying in America. “Everyone should deserve healthcare because it’s a right everyone should have,” she said.
Even residents with stable insurance, like many in Sammamish, will be impacted. Starting in 2026, states can pay hospitals Medicaid rates of no more than 100% in expansion states and 110% in non-expansion states, where expansion states are those that offer Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to individuals who were not previously eligible. However, these are well below the costs necessary for care. Hospitals rely on Medicaid funds to cover low-income patients, and when that funding lessens, they often raise prices for patients with private insurance to make up the difference.
With her knowledge on the bill, Skyline student Stella P. wondered the purpose, mentioning, “it’s not particularly benefiting…underprivileged people, who are the people who need help.”
By understanding how these healthcare changes impact real people, we can form informed opinions and advocate for our rights.
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