Skip to content
American Academy of Audiology
  • PRACTICE RESOURCES
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Coding
    • Medicare/Medicaid
    • Compliance
    • Quality Payment Program
  • EDUCATION & EVENTS
    • Event Calendar
    • Continuing Education
    • Online Learning and Certificate Programs
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
    • Faculty and Preceptor Resources
  • AAA ANNUAL CONVENTION
    • Attend
    • Program and Events
    • Exhibit Hall
    • Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities
    • About
  • NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
    • News
    • Audiology Today
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Permissions and Reprints
    • Press and Media Information
  • CAREERS
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • New Professional Toolkit
  • ADVOCACY
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • CONSUMERS
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
    • OTC Hearing Aid
  • ABOUT THE ACADEMY
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Get Involved
    • Honors and Awards
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Benefits
    • Ethics
    • Member Directory
    • Membership Renewals
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Students
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Renew
American Academy of Audiology
Member Login
  • PRACTICE RESOURCES
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Coding
    • Medicare/Medicaid
    • Compliance
    • Quality Payment Program
  • EDUCATION & EVENTS
    • Event Calendar
    • Continuing Education
    • Online Learning and Certificate Programs
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
    • Faculty and Preceptor Resources
  • AAA ANNUAL CONVENTION
    • Attend
    • Program and Events
    • Exhibit Hall
    • Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities
    • About
  • NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
    • News
    • Audiology Today
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Permissions and Reprints
    • Press and Media Information
  • CAREERS
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • New Professional Toolkit
  • ADVOCACY
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • CONSUMERS
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
    • OTC Hearing Aid
  • ABOUT THE ACADEMY
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Get Involved
    • Honors and Awards
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Benefits
    • Ethics
    • Member Directory
    • Membership Renewals
July 8, 2025

Congress Passes One Big Beautiful Bill Act Amid Major Medicaid Overhaul

  • Government Relations News

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), marking the most significant federal health care funding overhaul in decades. The legislation extends key tax cuts while cutting nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and related safety-net programs over the next ten years.

Key Provisions of the Bill

  • Medicaid Cuts: The Congressional Budget Office estimates $930 billion to $1 trillion in reduced federal Medicaid outlays, leading to the potential of 8–12 million Americans losing coverage by 2034.
  • New Medicaid Eligibility Rules: The bill imposes an 80-hour monthly work requirement for able-bodied adults and mandates semi-annual re-verification, along with service co-payments reaching $35.
  • Provider Tax Cap: State Medicaid provider taxes will be reduced from six percent to 3.5 percent, eliminating a crucial revenue stream used to enhance reimbursements.
  • Rural Hospital Relief: A new $50 billion Rural Hospital Fund was included, but analysts warn it covers only about 40–45 percent of anticipated rural shortfalls.

Though not always highlighted in broad healthcare discussions, audiologists and similar service providers face likely ripple effects:

  • Smaller Medicaid Rolls mean fewer covered patients—forcing many to seek private pay options or go untreated.
  • Lower Reimbursements as provider-tax cuts shrink state Medicaid budgets.
  • Greater Administrative Burden from new eligibility hurdles and cost-sharing enforcement.
  • Referral Network Strain as hospital service reductions or closures, especially in rural areas, disrupt patient pathways.
  • Rural Aid Insufficient: The $50 billion relief falls short of the estimated $58+ billion rural hospital Medicaid shortfall over a decade.
  • State Policy Divergence: Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states will experience differing impacts—expansion states face deeper cuts—but all reinsurers confront tighter budget constraints.
  • Coverage Loss Projections: Non-Medicaid portions of the law—like Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace credit rollbacks—could add three million additional uninsured, pushing total uninsured increases to 16 million by 2034.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act causes a seismic shift in U.S. health care financing, blending tax cuts with the largest Medicaid contraction in decades. The legislation is aimed at trimming government waste and promoting sustainability, but analysts caution that it puts millions—particularly in underserved and rural communities—at risk of losing essential care.

Audiologists who serve Medicaid patients should prepare for reduced patient access, tighter budgets, and complex eligibility requirements, while policymakers balance fiscal aims with preserving community health infrastructure. Please remember, the Academy is your number one resource for assistance as you balance these new challenges.

Share this

Related Posts

Medicaid in Focus: What Audiologists Need to Know Now

AAA, ADA, and ASHA Respond to False Claims about Medicare Audiology Legislation

ASLP-IC Readies for Rollout: Here’s What You Need to Know

Recent Posts

Government Relations News

Medicaid in Focus: What Audiologists Need to Know Now

With the recent changes to Medicaid, the Academy is preparing audiologists with the new one-pager, “Audiology in Medicaid”, an exclusive member resource designed to educate on…

Read More
Academy News

American Academy of Audiology Clinical Consensus Statement: Assessment of Vestibular Function in the Pediatric Population

Authors: Violette Lavender, AuD, Kristen Janky, PhD, Katheryn Bachmann, PhD, Melissa Caine, AuD, Micheal Castiglione, AuD, Guangwei Zhou, ScD The American Academy of Audiology Clinical…

Read More
Coding and Reimbursement

CMS Releases CY 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Proposed Rule

On July 15, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule,…

Read More
wave-mark

Join the Academy

Academy members receive many benefits for professional development, practice management, and community development.

Become a Member
COMM24-Academy_Website_Graphics-revised_logo(W)

American Academy of Audiology
11480 Commerce Park Drive
Suite 220
Reston, VA 20191

Tel: 703-790-8466
Fax: 703-790-8631

  • Practice Resources
  • Education and Events
  • News and Publications
  • Careers
  • Advocacy
  • About the Academy
  • Consumers and Patients
  • Students
  • Donate
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Antitrust Policy and Guidelines
  • Terms of Use Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap

© Copyright 2025 American Academy of Audiology

Website by Yoko Co

This content is an exclusive benefit for American Academy of Audiology members.

If you’re a member, log in and you’ll get immediate access.

 

Member Login

 

If you’re not yet a member, you’ll be interested to know that joining not only gives you access to top-notch resources like this one, but also invitations to member-only events, inclusion in the member directory, participation in professional forums, and access to patient resources, tools, and continuing education. Join today!

Scroll To Top
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy.