Roughly 2.8 million Pennsylvanians currently receive their healthcare through the Medicaid program, also called Medical Assistance. More than 200,000 people in Allegheny County are covered through Medicaid.
“Historically whenever changes have been made programmatically to increase those barriers to enrollment, we see people who are eligible fall out of the program,” said Becky Ludwick, vice president of public policy at advocacy group Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
A White House press release from shortly before the Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law states there will be “no cuts to Medicaid,” and said the law’s changes strengthen the program “while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.”
But healthcare advocates are pointing to similar changes that have already been rolled out in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also called SNAP or food stamps, that have led to many people losing their food assistance.