With President-elect Trump returning to office, there are discussions among his economic advisers and some congressional Republicans about revisiting some of the Medicaid reform proposals considered in Trump’s first term. In a new primer, Health Care Policy Analyst John Walker reviews the intent of these reforms and their estimated savings.

Key points:

• Such reforms may include those proposed – and passed by the House of Representatives – in 2017, key among them: block grants or per-capita caps for states, work requirements for Medicaid eligibility, improving enrollee verification, and returning the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) 90-percent federal match rate to its pre-ACA level for able-bodied adults.
• The proposed Medicaid reforms are intended to improve the program’s efficiency and ensure funds are directed to those enrollees with the greatest need.
• These changes, which are projected to save hundreds of billions in federal spending, offer a path to a more sustainable and equitable Medicaid system while addressing many of the program’s longer-term budgetary challenges.

Read the analysis