How Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Could Impact Disabled and Hungry New Yorkers

Update: The House passed the bill shortly after publication and President Trump is expected to sign it by July 4 as planned.

States will have to juggle new, onerous requirements with severely reduced federal funding. The current proposal imposes work rule requirements for both Medicaid and SNAP recipients that Gwyn said research shows will likely not improve employment rates but have a “devastating” impact on eligibility.

Medicaid enrollees could also be required to reapply for coverage every six months rather than annually, presenting a logistical challenge for states like New York which have struggled in recent years with a benefits backlog.

The bill has moved rapidly through Congress despite encountering resistance from both parties, a slew of procedural roadblocks, and conflicting calculations regarding its overall fiscal impact. Public sentiment on the deal has also become increasingly unfavorable.

“The more the public understands what’s in it, the less popular it becomes,” said Gwyn. “They’re trying to get this done as quickly as possible.”

New York Focus spoke to New Yorkers across the state to learn more about how these cuts could affect them.

Brown is the primary caregiver for her 65-year-old mother, Etheldra, who was recently diagnosed with stage four kidney disease. Each day, Etheldra is picked up by a medical transit service, paid for by Medicaid, that shuttles her to appointments and dialysis sessions.

Brown has also hired an in-home nurse to provide additional care while she works full-time as an accountant. Etheldra worked in the US Department of Education, also as an accountant, until recently retiring.

“Being a caregiver is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my entire life,” said Brown, who is single and an only child. Her father was also recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, adding to her responsibilities.

If Etheldra’s Medicaid coverage is reduced or eliminated, Brown said the impact would be “life changing.” She noted that one of her mother’s medications currently costs $400 with insurance.

“I’ve never seen the government move so fast about anything,” Brown, a native of Washington, D.C., said of the megabill. She is concerned that onerous requirements will only add more frustrating red tape to Medicaid. It recently took six months to get her mother’s Medicaid reinstated after a technical error, she said.

Brown is prepared to take on additional jobs to afford all of her mother’s care, she said, but now worries she will never be able to retire. “My mother may not be able to fight for herself right now, but I will never stop fighting for her.”

Medicaid and SNAP allow Greenburg’s 22-year-old son, Arren, who has autism and is nonverbal, to live independently. “If my son’s Medicaid disappeared, his life would disappear as he knows it,” she said. “He needs 24 hours-a-day, one-to-one support services.”

Arren rents a private room in South Brooklyn and receives help daily from aides who accompany him while grocery shopping, ensuring he takes his medication on time and budgets his money appropriately.

“He’s a big contributor to the local economy,” Greenburg said of her son, who uses his SNAP benefits to shop locally and is a well-known fixture in the neighborhood. “There’s always somebody who knows his face and his story and could get him back home.”

Though Arren is nonverbal, Greenburg said her son made it clear during the pandemic that he craved independence like any other young adult his age and wanted to move out of the family home. He now takes art classes and has exhibited in local shows. He also enjoys visiting local museums with his aides and cooking.

Greenburg called Arren’s current living situation the safest and least expensive option that allows him to live independently in the same neighborhood he grew up in — and avoid full-time care in a facility.

Years of working as a commercial truck driver left Herrera with sciatic pain and herniated discs that put him out of work, he said. The 59-year-old in Long Island City is involved in grassroots activism for a variety of causes, from criminal justice reform to addiction recovery, and is currently looking for work as a paralegal.

His Medicaid coverage allowed him to get dental work done recently, and SNAP covers his food costs. Herrera is hopeful he will gain employment soon and will no longer be reliant on public assistance. He lives alone in an affordable housing unit with his two cats, Socks and Boots.

He criticized efforts to cut Medicaid and SNAP as a way to fund tax breaks for the wealthy.

“You’re giving them more money and attacking the people who are actually below poverty or need the benefits,” Herrera said. “That’s going to impact very heavily on millions of people.”