Medicaid cost-cutting measures passed by House to be scrutinized by GOP senators as they take up Trump agenda

Washington — The Senate will soon be considering the massive legislation containing President Trump's second-term agenda after House Republicans passed it last week, following days of negotiations over changes to Medicaid, among other key issues. 

Senate Republicans will put their "imprint" on the bill, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune put it, and some pointed to changes to Medicaid as a possible red line for those who are undecided. As recently as Memorial Day weekend, at least one, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said she's still going over the House bill: "I'm still looking at it because it kept changing up until literally the very minute it passed." 

Medicaid is the popular entitlement program that provides government-sponsored health care for low-income Americans and people with disabilities. The federal government shares the costs of the program with states, shouldering a minimum of 50% of the costs for richer states, while contributing more for the poorest. In 2025, it paid 77% of the Medicaid costs for Mississippi.