What Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ really does to Medicaid and SNAP

Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” on Thursday, July 3, and it includes significant reforms to Medicaid and the SNAP food assistance program. Ask a Republican, and they’ll tell you the reforms will reduce waste, fraud and abuse. Democrats say it’s cruel and people will die because they can’t get coverage. 

So, what do the work requirements really say? 

The SNAP and Medicaid work requirements are nearly identical.

To qualify, individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 must work, volunteer or participate in a work program for at least 20 hours per week. They may also be enrolled in school on a half-time basis.  

There are exceptions for the parents or caregivers of children 13 and under, American Indians, those who have a disability, a serious medical condition or are pregnant. 

“This disgusting abomination — the GOP tax scam that guts Medicaid, rips food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans and rewards billionaires with massive tax breaks,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said about the legislation during a speech on the House floor. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., told reporters, “If you choose not to work, if tomorrow you say, ‘You know what, I’m going to get free health care from the government. I’m just not going to work anymore.’ No, you’re not going to get free health care from the government.”

Harris said there is a lot of disinformation about the bill, including statements that hardworking Americans will lose their health care. 

“So look, that rhetoric is just false. I mean, I can’t use any other word. Fact of the matter is, no hardworking American is going to lose their health care,” Harris said. 

The Congressional Budget Office predicted that approximately 17 million people would lose their health care over the next ten years due to the reforms in the bill. They said of those 17 million, 4.8 million would be able-bodied adults between the ages of 19 and 64 with no children who do not meet the work requirements; 1.4 million would be individuals who don’t meet the citizenship requirements; and 2.2 million would become uninsured due to other provisions, like more frequent verifications on eligibility.  

Straight Arrow News asked Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., what he would say to a constituent who called his office and said the bill caused them to lose or get reduced Medicaid coverage. 

“The first thing we do is go and make sure that they’re not mistaken,” Green told SAN. “Because a lot of false information out there about how these cuts impact people. So the first thing I would do is the casework that we do all the time, and that’s make sure people get the benefits that they deserve.” 

SAN also asked Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, what he would say to someone who agrees that there should be work requirements. 

“We already know what happened in Arkansas when they put these so-called work requirements in. That led to a health care catastrophe in that state,” Veasey said. “And when you look at a state the size of Texas, it’s only going to be worse.”

Veasey is referring to the work requirements implemented by Arkansas in 2018, which resulted in 18,000 people losing coverage but did not lead to any increases in employment. 

Each state must develop its own work requirements that align with federal guidelines. They must be implemented by January 2027.