Summary
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson supported a new law that changes Medicaid rules, which could impact many people in his Louisiana district. The new rules require people to work, volunteer, or get job training for 80 hours each month to keep their health coverage. Over 200,000 people in Louisiana might lose health coverage under these changes.
Key Facts
- Speaker Mike Johnson backed a new law that affects Medicaid, a program for low-income health coverage.
- In Johnson's rural Louisiana district, over a third of residents are on Medicaid.
- The new law requires adults aged 19 to 55 to prove they work, volunteer, or get job training for at least 80 hours a month to keep Medicaid coverage.
- Statewide in Louisiana, more than 200,000 people could potentially lose their health coverage.
- Federally qualified health centers may face closure if they lose revenue from Medicaid reimbursements.
- Local residents like Jamie Collins and David Jackson, who have irregular work, worry they won't meet the new requirements and risk losing healthcare.
- The Congressional Budget Office predicts the changes will result in nearly a trillion dollars in cuts, affecting 12 million people's coverage.
- Speaker Johnson defends the legislation as a measure to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.
