The portals that states use to entry Medicaid reimbursement have stopped working after the Trump administration ordered authorities businesses to pause federal grants pending a overview for “woke” ideology.
Trump White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned throughout a briefing Tuesday that she didn’t know whether or not this system offering well being care to greater than 72 million low-income People had been impacted. Leavitt didn’t point out Medicaid as one of many direct-assistance applications that might be proof against the freeze.
“This isn’t a blanket pause on federal help and grant applications from the Trump administration,” Leavitt mentioned in her first official briefing from the White Home podium. “Social Safety advantages, Medicare advantages, meals stamps, welfare advantages … won’t be impacted by this pause.”
She addressed the portal outage not lengthy after on X.
“The White Home is conscious of the Medicaid web site portal outage. We’ve confirmed no funds have been affected — they’re nonetheless being processed and despatched. We count on the portal will likely be again on-line shortly,” the press secretary wrote.
Even so, there’s widespread uncertainty about whether or not Medicaid will likely be a part of the Workplace of Administration and Finances’s new directive to pause some federal help applications, which Democrats are decrying as unlawful because it considerations spending that’s already been authorised by Congress.
“I’ll examine again on that and get again to you,” Leavitt had informed reporters earlier concerning the Medicaid web site.
The gulf between the fact rising from states, nonprofits and small companies and the spin from the White Home — on taxpayer-funded applications that affect hundreds of thousands of individuals and value the federal government trillions of tax {dollars} to manage — solely added to the confusion.
In the meantime, blue-state senators have been sharing what they have been studying. The outage reportedly impacted not solely Medicaid, however Head Begin and different well being applications tied to the federal health department.
“My employees has confirmed stories that Medicaid portals are down in all 50 states following final night time’s federal funding freeze. It is a blatant try to tear away medical insurance from hundreds of thousands of People in a single day and can get individuals killed,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote on X.
“Can verify. Connecticut’s Medicaid cost system has been turned off. Docs and hospitals can’t receives a commission. Discussions ongoing about whether or not providers can proceed,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote. “Medicaid covers well being take care of hundreds of thousands of seniors and covers 40% of births in America.”
The OMB order mentioned federal businesses ought to pause federal “monetary help” grants at 5 p.m. Tuesday to overview whether or not they additional “woke gender ideology” or variety, fairness and inclusion (DEI) objectives, that are off-limits within the new Trump administration.
Leavitt claimed a number of instances that non-public help applications wouldn’t be touched, however didn’t say what is definitely on the chopping block.
“I’ve now been requested and answered this query 4 instances. To people at residence who obtain direct help from the federal authorities, you’ll not be impacted by this federal freeze,” she mentioned, including, “This isn’t a blanket pause on federal help and grant applications from the Trump administration.”
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“President Trump is looking for you by issuing this pause as a result of he’s being a superb steward of your tax {dollars},” she added.
