Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill": How it Will Reshape Healthcare

By Athena Corbishley

Embed from Getty Images

What is the"Big, Beautiful Bill?"

On July 4th, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" into law. The key word: big. Beautiful? Not so much. The bill spans nearly 1,000 pages and includes a wide range of policy changes. The bill has two main priorities: tax cuts and immigration funding. It benefits those of high income, such as manufacturers and corporate America. The consequences are most felt by low-income communities, hospitals, and the rural areas. To pay for the changes, significant funding is cut from various healthcare and nutrition programs. This post aims to break down how the bill affects the United States healthcare system, including the impact on Medicaid and SNAP recipients, aspiring doctors, and hospitals. 

Impact on Medicaid and SNAP

Experts say the bill is expected to cut an estimated 1 trillion dollars from Medicaid over the next ten years. These cuts leave millions of people vulnerable, without access to health insurance. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill could result in 11.8 million Americans losing health coverage through Medicaid. To qualify for Medicaid, it now requires that people aged 19-64 work a minimum of 80 hours a month. Some college students will have to find out how to balance their time between schoolwork and actual work.  The bill also attacks Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that provides sexual and reproductive health services. The bill denies Medicaid payments for the non-profit services. According to Planned Parenthood, around 60% of their clinics that are at risk of closing, are in medically underserved or rural areas. This means people who already have limited access to health care, are getting more taken away from them. 

SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also referred to as food stamps. SNAP provides monthly funds for families of lower income to purchase more nutritional food. The program is facing one of its biggest cuts in history with the passage of the bill. States, for the first time, are now required to fund some of the benefit costs. Like Medicaid, it now also imposes work requirements. Even before the bill was implemented, Urban Institute claims that a modestly priced meal cost 20% more than the maximum SNAP benefit." After the cuts, millions of families will lose some or all benefits of SNAP. With less access to SNAP, food insecurity will increase and health outcomes will worsen. 

Impact on Medical Students and Future Doctors

The bill doesn't just affect patients, but also healthcare workers. For future medical students, the already difficult road to becoming a doctor has just gotten a lot harder. The bill severely impacts medical students, specifically those who are first-generation and of lower income. The bill terminates Grad PLUS loans, which previously aided graduate and professional students in the payment of educational expenses. The new federal borrowing caps are as follows: $100,000 total and $20,500 a year for graduate school and $200,000 total and $50,000 a year for professional school. According to a report by Blog.org, the annual average of public out-of-state and private medical schools is well over $50,000 a year. So the federal caps don't come close to covering what is needed. This could force schools to lower their tuition or "freeze" their costs; however, there is no guarantee. 

Lowering the federal loan caps will force students to turn to private loans. Private loans are much stricter, tending to have higher interest rates, less flexible repayment plans, and requiring co-signers. The bill also removes federal loan repayment options. Repayment plans like Income Based Repayment, Saving on a Valuable Education, and Pay As You Earn have been discontinued. People must turn to one of three existing plans. Many lower-income students will have no choice but to pursue a different career path. Which could lead to a physician shortage and less diversity within the health care field. 

Impact on Hospitals and Doctors

This bill poses a huge problem for doctors and hospitals around the nation. The Medicaid funding cuts will leave millions without access to health insurance. Uninsured people often are unable to afford preventative and primary care and only seek medical help when in critical condition. This causes a vast increase in emergency room visits. Jammed ERs will place a strain on health care resources and workers. It can lead to a lower quality of care, longer patient wait times, and increased costs in the health care system. 

Not just those on Medicaid are at risk; anyone living in rural areas should be concerned. The bill  poses a huge risk to rural hospitals. Many rural hospitals were already struggling and operating at a financial loss. Medicaid plays a huge role in sustaining rural hospitals. According to KFF, 1 in 4 people living in rural areas in the United States are covered by Medicaid. Medicaid gives rural hospitals much of their financial support and allows them to keep their doors open. When this financial support is removed, rural hospitals are forced to cut back on services or shut down altogether. If local rural hospitals shut down people seeking life saving care could have to drive hours before they reach the nearest hospital. Hospital closures could cause people to avoid or not receive care, or push it off until they're in critical condition to seek help. 

Overall?

The bill has reshaped our U.S health care system as we know it. This so-called beautiful bill has left millions of people without access to healthcare or an education. It is important to stay informed, and to speak out.