The impact of a series of healthcare funding cuts approved in the Big, Beautiful Bill that President Trump and allied lawmakers passed last summer is reverberating across the United States. It’s already had devastating consequences for hospitals, clinics, research, and patients – but public health experts and economists warn this is just the beginning.
Supporters touted the cuts to crucial programs, including Medicaid expansion funding, Affordable Care Act subsidies, and public health grants, as necessary to reduce federal spending and lower the national debt. They claimed the healthcare cuts were to reduce the federal government’s involvement in healthcare, placing the burden on states, and to eliminate alleged waste, fraud and abuse.
At the same time, critics sounded the alarm and forecasted exactly what’s happened since the budget passed: lost coverage, higher insurance premiums as subsidies expire, rural hospital closures, and delayed care for millions.
Americans are having to make difficult choices about what to forego in order to afford trips to the doctor or hospital, surgeries, filling prescriptions, and receiving other medical care. And now, newly released survey results depict what those sacrifices are, and just how many people have been affected.
The results, released by West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America last week, found one-third of Americans cut back to cover healthcare expenses, and they often forego food.
Of the 20,000 survey participants, 11% skipped a meal to pay for medicine or healthcare in the last year. That’s equivalent to 28 million Americans who had to choose between eating and taking care of their health.
It’s not just low-income families that are suffering, either. The middle-class is feeling it and is having to make similar trade-offs, including skipping meals, driving less, cutting back on utilities, borrowing money, and prolonging prescriptions.
Coverage Losses Mount as Healthcare Cuts Come Into Effect
According to estimates, up to 15 million Americans will lose their health insurance by 2034 as Medicare and Medicaid subsidies expire and eligibility requirements tighten. Low-income families, seniors in long-term care, and people with chronic conditions will be among the hardest hit.
People have already lost their insurance since the budget was enacted, leaving them to pay for prescriptions that were covered before, like diabetes medications. Skipping doses to prolong prescriptions is far too common, putting the health – and lives – of Americans at risk because of federal healthcare cuts.
Healthcare economists warn that gaps in coverage and the steps patients take to afford what little they can often lead to more expensive emergency treatment later. These extra costs ultimately land on taxpayers and hospitals, and those with insurance through higher premiums.
Rural Hospitals on the Brink in the U.S.
Rural healthcare systems rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements. With nearly 50% of children and 18% of adults in rural communities covered by Medicaid, these facilities have faced particular strain. Numerous hospitals and clinics have closed, and reduced services and staff since Trump introduced the widespread healthcare funding cuts. The end result is that rural residents are forced to travel hours for emergency or specialized care.
In parts of the Midwest and South, obstetric units have disappeared, causing fear and uncertainty for pregnant women who no longer have local delivery options. Advocates warn these closures could increase maternal mortality rates in a country that already has the highest rates in the developed world.
Public Health Programs Scaled Back
Trump’s healthcare funding cuts have also affected preventative services, such as mental health and addiction support programs and treatment centers, and vaccination outreach. Local health department layoffs and reduced capacity at facilities affect their ability to respond to disease outbreaks.
Preventative health programs that have lost or are set to lose funding will cause long-term damage that’s far costlier than if their funding was kept in place.
States Suing the Administration Over Healthcare Cuts
Numerous lawsuits have been filed against the administration in response to some of the healthcare funding cuts.
On February 11th, 2026, several states sued the federal government for withholding $600 million in public health funding. They allege they were blocked from receiving the grants in retaliation for opposing Trump’s immigration policies. The states involved in these cases include California, Illinois, Colorado, and Minnesota.
Other states have filed lawsuits over Medicaid reductions and the loss of CDC grants that had been allocated to them. In many of these cases, states have banded together to fight back.
Political Stakes Rising Amidst Healthcare Cuts
The administration's healthcare funding cuts are being felt everywhere, but they’re hurting the most vulnerable. And it’s all happening as fewer and fewer families can afford to make ends meet.
The rising cost of food, housing, health insurance and gas prices have caused extensive financial strain on households across the nation. Countless people are having to tap into their savings, while others have gone into crippling credit card debt.
Despite the public outcry and state-level attempts to restore funding, if anything, the administration has upped their efforts to justify the massive decrease in federal healthcare funding. There’s even been executive orders that advocates say threaten the health and safety of Americans.
One such example is what happened in February, when Trump ordered an increase in the production of glyphosate, the alleged cancer-causing chemical in Roundup. He did this as the manufacturer of Roundup continues to face tens of thousands of lawsuits, and that pesticides are a top concern for the Make America Healthy Again movement (MAHA) – a group that stood behind the Republicans in the last election.
Healthcare has rapidly re-emerged as a central issue in national politics. Affordability and access to medical care and treatment currently rank among voters’ top concerns as the next election cycle ramps up.
But as policymakers clash in Washington, it’s families, hospitals and clinics that are currently navigating the real-world effects of healthcare funding cuts in the U.S. What’s happening is a clear reminder that budget decisions at the federal level quite literally shape life-and-death outcomes far beyond it.
