The portals that states use to entry Medicaid reimbursement have stopped working after the Trump administration ordered authorities companies to pause federal grants pending a assessment for “woke” ideology.
Trump White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated 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 Individuals had been impacted. Leavitt didn’t point out Medicaid as one of many direct-assistance packages that will be resistant to the freeze.
“This isn’t a blanket pause on federal help and grant packages from the Trump administration,” Leavitt stated 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 have now confirmed no funds have been affected — they’re nonetheless being processed and despatched. We count on the portal can be again on-line shortly,” the press secretary wrote.
Even so, there’s widespread uncertainty about whether or not Medicaid can be a part of the Workplace of Administration and Funds’s new directive to pause some federal help packages, which Democrats are decrying as unlawful because it considerations spending that’s already been authorized by Congress.
“I’ll verify again on that and get again to you,” Leavitt had informed reporters earlier relating to the Medicaid web site.
The gulf between the truth rising from states, nonprofits and small companies and the spin from the White Home — on taxpayer-funded packages that impression thousands and thousands of individuals and price 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 packages tied to the federal well being division.
“My workers has confirmed studies that Medicaid portals are down in all 50 states following final evening’s federal funding freeze. This can be a blatant try to tear away medical health insurance from thousands and thousands of Individuals in a single day and can get individuals killed,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote on X.
“Can affirm. Connecticut’s Medicaid fee 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 thousands and thousands of seniors and covers 40% of births in America.”
The OMB order stated federal companies ought to pause federal “monetary help” grants at 5 p.m. Tuesday to assessment whether or not they additional “woke gender ideology” or range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) targets, that are off-limits within the new Trump administration.
Leavitt claimed a number of occasions that private help packages 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 occasions. To people at house who obtain direct help from the federal authorities, you’ll not be impacted by this federal freeze,” she stated, including, “This isn’t a blanket pause on federal help and grant packages from the Trump administration.”
Go Advert-Free — And Shield The Free Press
Already contributed? Log in to cover these messages.
“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.