Democrats have launched an over-the-top onslaught against the Big Beautiful Bill, claiming among other things that it will kill many thousands of Americans. The main focus of their attacks has been the modest changes in Medicaid, which do not reduce benefits but are intended to cut down on fraud and abuse. Are these common-sense provisions really unpopular, as the Democratic press would have it?
My organization polled this question, along with others, for the July issue of Thinking Minnesota magazine. We published the results of that part of the poll, conducted by Meeting Street Insights, today:
New Medicaid proposals in the bill including frequent eligibility checks, work requirements, residency requirements and ending payments to illegal immigrants are overwhelmingly popular with Minnesotans.
* Eighty-nine percent support requiring all Minnesota Medicaid recipients to live in Minnesota in order to receive benefits.
I’d like to meet the other eleven percent.
* Seventy-five percent support requiring Minnesota Medicaid recipients to have their eligibility reviewed annually.
* Fifty-eight percent support requiring nearly all adults to be working or looking for work in order to have health insurance through Medicaid.
* Sixty-one percent oppose having the state pay for health care for illegal immigrants.
This, in a state where until now, illegal immigrants have been eligible for Medicaid.
Minnesota is not generally known as a right-wing hotbed, so I expect the same broad support for the Medicaid changes in the BBB obtains generally across the country. My guess is that most of those who denounce the BBB have no idea what is actually in it. The linked press release includes this quote by me:
“The changes to Medicaid coming in the Big Beautiful Bill are about making sure the system is fair, and resources are going only to those who deserve our help, not to fund waste, fraud and abuse,” said John Hinderaker, President of Center of the American Experiment. “Despite the attempts at fearmongering by opponents of the bill, Minnesotans support making Medicaid more accountable.”
