New analysis of the Trump administration’s changes to Medicaid rules show Maryland may be harder hit than originally anticipated with as many as 270,000 people losing coverage in 2028.
The estimate comes from new analysis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The loss will come from new requirements that force people on Medicaid to re-enroll more frequently and puts stricter work requirements on the health plan.
“A lot of people fall through the cracks and lose their coverage, even if they really are eligible and shouldn't lose their coverage because the state sets up a system that's too difficult for people to comply with,” said Katherine Hempstead, a senior policy analyst at the foundation.
The Maryland Department of Health estimated about 175,000 thousand people will lose coverage between July of this year and June of 2028 shortly after the Republican spending and tax bill was passed that changed Medicaid requirements.
The state says it will lose about $2.7 billion in funding as well.
Not to mention, MDH estimates it will also take on tens of millions of dollars in new costs as it implements checks on work eligibility.
“If people wind up getting kicked off of Medicaid, that could mean potentially hundreds of thousands of people were unable to go to the doctor, unable to treat chronic illnesses,” said Christopher Myer is a research analyst at the Maryland Center on Economic Policy. “It'll also have a broader impact on our economy. Federal dollars that flow through the state budget then wind up going into families pockets, and then they cycle that back into the economy by spending it on local businesses. That would actually reduce sales at local businesses and have a ripple impact of actually reducing state GDP.”
A recent poll found about two thirds of Marylanders are opposed to the Trump Administration’s attempt to put more regulations on Medicaid, which could push about one hundred and thirty thousand residents off the rolls.
The poll showed large support for government healthcare plans, 85% of residents said Medicaid is important to their community and 88% said Maryland should help control healthcare costs to ensure people have access to the coverage they need.
