The Republican Budget Reconciliation bill was signed into law on Friday morning. The law includes the largest cuts to health care and taxes in United States history, trillions in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and corporations, and adds at least $3.3 trillion to the nation’s deficit.
Alliance Executive Director Richard Fiesta released a press statement detailing some of the ways the legislation will harm older Americans, including:
- The deep Medicaid cuts put 1.4 million nursing home residents in harm’s way. More than half of nursing homes will have to cut staff, and one in four may shut down entirely — leaving families scrambling to provide care for loved ones.
- Low-income seniors and people with disabilities will pay more for prescription drugs and Medicare premiums, forcing them to choose between health care and other basic needs.
- 6.5 million older Americans could lose food assistance due to a 20 percent cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- Accelerates Social Security and Medicare insolvency by one year.
- Creates a new loophole for drug corporations that prevents Medicare from negotiating lower prices for some high cost prescription drugs.
- 300 hospitals — especially in small towns and rural communities — are at risk of closing or slashing services, forcing Americans of all ages to travel farther and wait longer for care.
- Because the bill increases the deficit, it triggers $490 billion in cuts to Medicare over ten years, which will make it harder for beneficiaries to get the care they need at a price they can afford since doctors and hospitals may curtail services or stop accepting patients with Medicare.
“Congressional Republicans and the President have turned their backs on the very people they were elected to serve,” said Fiesta. “This bill isn’t about lowering prices or helping everyday Americans — it’s about lining the pockets of billionaires and big corporations while ripping away essential health care and support from seniors, people with disabilities, and working families. We will not forget how our representatives voted. We will make sure every older American knows what is in this legislation — and who to hold accountable for this debacle.”
This was originally published in the July 4, 2025 edition of the Friday Alert. Read the full length version and see other Friday Alert editions here.
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