WASHINGTON (Erie News Now) – Democratic governors continue to sound the alarm on the impacts of President Trump’s “one, big, beautiful bill” that was recently signed into law. 

Governors Josh Shapiro and Kathy Hochul are just a few who are bashing congressional Republicans from their states who supported the measure. 

“It will utterly destabilize our health insurance program,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY.), during a press conference Thursday. It's simply saying you're on your own — tearing apart the safety net that people in this country have come to rely on throughout their lives.”  

Governors across the country are preparing for the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — a new law that is set to deliver major changes and spending cuts to Medicaid over the next decade. 

“The bill now signed into law cuts about $1 trillion from Medicaid,” said Michael Linden, senior policy fellow at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. “That is way beyond any credible estimate of waste and fraud and abuse.” 

Republicans say that work requirements and other changes will help prevent waste, fraud and abuse in the joint federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for low-income individuals. 

But Linden says it will hinder health care access across America — as states get ready to shoulder a significantly greater share of the cost. 

“Many states will simply provide less coverage. There'll be fewer people on Medicaid. That's one of the reasons why it's estimated that 12 million Americans will lose their Medicaid coverage,” said Linden. “Other states might raise taxes, other states may just reduce the reimbursements to hospitals and service providers, which will lead to hospitals closing.” 

According to a fact sheet from the Shapiro administration, 18,498 Pennsylvanians in Congressman Mike Kelly’s district (PA-16) are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage — along with 15,215 in Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson’s district (PA-15) and 17,967 in Congressman Dan Meuser’s district (PA-09). 

For Congressman Nick Langworthy’s district (NY-23), estimates range from 15,000 to 28,000 — according to data from the New York State Department of Health and a Democratic Joint Economic Committee report. 

But congressional Republicans say Medicaid was not designed to be a free health care program for all — rather, a safety net for the most vulnerable. They say Democratic governors are using scare tactics. 

“The only ones that are going to lose coverage will be illegals,” said Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.). “The others that would lose it are those that are the double dippers that have been receiving assistance elsewhere, those who are ineligible, those who don't meet the new instituted work requirements, and then it's those that weren't eligible in the first place.” 

“Medicaid is not an endless checkbook for states to dream up new programs,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY.). 

Congressman Langworthy says federal and state spending on the program has spiraled in recent years. 

Over the last decade, New York’s state budget has grown by more than $100 billion. Funding for the New York Department of Health — which oversees programs like Medicaid — accounts for nearly half of the current $254 billion state budget. 

“We have put the states on a long-term diet by plugging some of the holes in the games that they play with the hospital systems and health care providers to leverage more money unfairly out of the Medicaid system,” said Langworthy. “They're going to have to reprioritize where some of their other spending priorities are.” 

Langworthy says if someone is able-bodied, of working age and without dependent children, they should be prepared to show an effort to work, volunteer or educate themselves for 20 hours per week. 

However, Linden warns that several states have tried this in the past. 

“And they've all had the same experience, which is that eligible people end up losing coverage and you don't get any increase in work or employment. That's what every estimate has shown. That's what the experience has been in states that have tried this,” said Linden.