Medicaid changes could be coming: Here's what Republicans are considering

As the Trump administration moves to cut and reorganize federal spending, Republicans are weighing billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid. 

What is Medicaid? 

Medicaid is nearly-free health care coverage offered to the poorest Americans. 

By the numbers:

• 80 million: The number of U.S. adults and children enrolled in the program
• $880 billion: The approximate cost it takes to fund the program, as paid for by federal taxpayers.

Proposed Medicaid changes

As a way to reduce spending, the GOP-controlled Congress is eyeing implementing a work requirement to receive Medicaid coverage, similar to the conditions required to receive food stamps. 

What they're saying:

"It’s common sense," Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said. "Little things like that make a big difference not only in the budgeting process but in the morale of the people. You know, work is good for you. You find dignity in work."

RELATED: States report Medicaid outage amid federal funding drama

The other side:

But about 92% of Medicaid enrollees are already working, attending school or caregiving, according to an analysis by KFF, a health policy research firm.

Previously, President Joe Biden's administration also largely blocked states from enacting work rules of their own and required 10 states to remove the requirement for Medicaid coverage.

Dig deeper:

Other cuts on the table include a proposal to change the federal government's reimbursement to a per-person limit. That would shift the costs to states, which might be forced to make tough choices about who or what they cover.

Why you should care:

Any Medicaid changes could jeopardize health care access for millions of adults and children.

States with the most Medicaid recipients