Expert Insight

What health plan leaders need to know about Trump’s big, beautiful bill

Dive into the major implications of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on health plans, from Medicaid cuts to enrollment challenges and administrative complexities.

Introduction

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduces major changes directly to Medicaid and the ACA Marketplace — but the impact will extend to other areas, such as employer-sponsored insurance, and ripple across the healthcare landscape. With $794 billion in Medicaid cuts and new eligibility and enrollment requirements, OBBBA forces health plans to face a future of reduced enrollment, higher risk pools, and increased administrative complexity. This briefing outlines the most consequential provisions of OBBBA and their implications for managed care organizations. You can also find out how OBBBA is impacting the entire healthcare industry here.

Changes in Medicaid will cut federal spending and decrease enrollment, mainly through work and reporting requirements

By 2034, OBBBA is projected to reduce federal Medicaid funding by $911 billion and decrease Medicaid enrollment by 10.3 million people.1,2

Several provisions drive these federal savings:2

  • The bill requires 21 million Medicaid expansion enrollees to meet 80 hours per month of work and reporting requirements to retain coverage, generating $326 billion in projected savings.
  • It blocks provider tax increases in non-expansion states and reduces existing taxes in expansion states, saving $191 billion.
  • Updates to the cap on state-directed payments are projected to save $149 billion.
  • OBBBA rolls back Biden-era rules that simplified Medicaid eligibility and renewal, contributing $122 billion in savings.
  • It increases the frequency of eligibility redeterminations for the ACA expansion group, generating $63 billion in savings.

In addition to the major provisions above, OBBBA includes several policies that further restrict eligibility, complicate enrollment, and reduce federal and state Medicaid spending:

  • Eligibility restrictions: The bill eliminates federal funding for individuals without qualified immigration status and explicitly excludes undocumented immigrants from Medicaid eligibility.
  • Enrollment barriers: States must verify enrollment using only reliable data sources, shorten retroactive coverage to one month, and impose cost sharing of up to $35 per service for some enrollees based on income.
  • Spending reductions: Section 1115 demonstration waivers must now be budget neutral, and OBBBA removes the financial incentive from the American Rescue Plan Act for states to expand Medicaid eligibility.

Zoom in: OBBBA implementation timeline

Although OBBBA introduces sweeping Medicaid reforms, 76% of federal funding cuts are scheduled for 2030 or later.2 Key provisions, such as work requirements and semiannual redeterminations, begin in 2027. But the most substantial reductions, including limits on provider taxes and the rollback of eligibility simplification, take effect after 2030. For health plans, this creates a period of stability to prepare for future financial and operational pressures. The delayed timeline also introduces uncertainty, as future political or regulatory shifts could alter implementation. As a result, long-term scenario planning becomes more complex, requiring health plans to prepare for multiple contingencies. Maintaining engagement with state officials and legislators will also be critical to understand and influence the path ahead for a given state. Read more about the broader OBBBA implementation timeline.

 

Managed care organizations will face decreased membership, worsening member health, and increased administrative complexity

Decreased membership

OBBBA’s Medicaid provisions are expected to significantly reduce enrollment, particularly among healthier individuals. With approximately 75% of Medicaid beneficiaries — around 72 million people — enrolled in managed care organizations (MCOs), any drop in membership directly impacts plan revenue.3 Work and reporting requirements are likely to drive much of this disenrollment, especially in expansion states where 21 million enrollees could be subject to these new conditions.4 This could lead to higher per-member costs for plans, as those at risk of disenrollment from work requirements tend to be lower-cost than the average enrollee.5

Worsening member health

Plans are likely to see increased churn as members lose and regain eligibility through administrative issues and work status changes, which will impact care continuity and quality. Members who lose coverage could have worsened health outcomes, potentially increasing care costs when they reenroll.6

At the same time, states facing budget shortfalls may cut optional Medicaid services such as behavioral health, dental care, and postpartum coverage — services that are often critical to member well-being and cost management. These challenges are compounded by broader social policy changes, such as cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which could worsen food insecurity and increase healthcare costs.7 In aggregate, these shifts could lead to smaller risk pools, lower care quality, and increased financial pressure on plans.

Increased complexity for plans

OBBBA will create a more fragmented and demanding operational environment for Medicaid plans. States are expected to adopt varying rules and timelines, requiring plans to expand regulatory teams and further develop state-specific expertise. Budget constraints may also increase scrutiny on fraud, waste, and abuse. To adapt, plans will need to invest in interoperable systems, enhance provider-facing technologies, and strengthen compliance teams.

Increased complexity for members

New eligibility rules, work requirements, and cost-sharing obligations will create additional barriers to enrollment and retention. To mitigate these effects, plans should invest in member support infrastructure — retraining staff, launching targeted outreach, and enhancing digital tools for enrollment and verification. Plans may be able to apply some of the skills they developed during the redeterminations after the public health emergency, as outlined in our earlier article on the Medicaid unwinding.

How Medicaid cuts will impact Medicare Advantage and Employer-sponsored insurance

Medicare Advantage plans will be impacted as D-SNPs are the largest SNP product and growing faster than conventional MA plans. While D-SNPs were not specifically called out in OBBBA, there will be implications for them. For example, optional benefits like Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) may be minimized because of funding cuts, and these disproportionately serve dual-eligible members.8

Commercial plans are also likely to face pressure as health systems seek higher reimbursement rates to offset losses from uncompensated care and reduced Medicaid revenue. Depending on how plan-provider rate negotiations unfold, employers may have to increase employee premiums or narrow networks to offset these cost increases. Contrary to what some may believe, work requirements are unlikely to increase employment or commercial insurance uptake, as history shows no significant employment gains from such policies.9

Changes to the ACA market from OBBBA and the ACA final rule focus on decreasing premium tax credit eligibility and increasing consumer responsibility

In this section, we are including not only changes from OBBBA but also changes from the ACA final rule that were originally in OBBBA but eventually released on June 20.10 These changes to the ACA Marketplace could increase the number of uninsured Americans by 8.2 million by 2034 — made up of 3.1 million from ACA-specific provisions, 900,000 from codified Marketplace rules, and 4.2 million from the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits.1 HHS proposes that the ACA final rule will cut $12 billion in spending in 2026 alone.11

The key ACA-related changes include:

Enrollment

  • Reduced enrollment time and eligibility groups: The rule eliminates year-round enrollment for low-income individuals and narrows eligibility for special enrollment periods (SEPs), reducing flexibility for those experiencing life changes. Also, the open enrollment period is shortened, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are explicitly excluded from Marketplace eligibility — reversing recent efforts to expand access.

Premium tax credits

  • Fewer people eligible for premium tax credits: Certain immigrant populations will see reduced eligibility, and individuals who enroll during non–qualifying life event (QLE) SEPs will no longer be eligible for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reduction (CSRs). Perhaps most consequentially, individuals who are denied Medicaid due to new work requirements will also be barred from receiving subsidized ACA coverage.
  • More hurdles to receive premium tax credits: The rule introduces pre-enrollment verification requirements and eliminates self-attestation for family size and other personal details. It also ends automatic reenrollment for individuals eligible for zero-premium CSR plans.

Product design

  • Greater cost sharing and consumer responsibility: Enrollees must pay premiums in full to retain coverage. Also, the bill widens allowable actuarial value variation and reverts the premium adjustment percentage (PAP) to 2019 levels, potentially increasing consumer cost sharing.
  • Reduced covered benefits: Gender-affirming care is no longer considered an essential health benefit. CSRs cannot be used for plans that include abortion coverage.

Zoom in: What’s not included? Expanded subsidies and ICHRAs

Notably, OBBBA does not extend the enhanced premium tax credits introduced under the American Rescue Plan and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act. Without legislative action, these subsidies will expire at the end of 2025, increasing the number of uninsured by 4.2 million over the next decade.12 This rollback will disrupt what has become an increasingly valuable market for health plan growth.

Also, an original version of the bill codified and expanded Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA) to include a small business tax credit and become CHOICE. While this provision was taken out of the final bill, the Trump administration may include it in future legislation. ICHRAs, in which employers provide a fixed monthly amount for employees to buy their own marketplace plans, are still available for employers. However, their appeal largely depends on Marketplace premium prices, which vary significantly by state. Read more about how health plans are already making moves in this market in our piece on ICHRAs.

Individual market plans will face reduced enrollment with increased churn and greater cost sharing

Reduced enrollment with increased churn

The combined impact of OBBBA’s ACA-related provisions, alongside Medicaid changes and the expiration of enhanced subsidies, is projected to significantly reduce enrollment and increase churn in the individual market. The enrollment hurdles may discourage enrollment among workers with variable income, such as freelancers and seasonal employees, and lead to more frequent gaps in coverage. As the risk pool shrinks, plans will have to increase premiums and adopt cost-saving measures such as narrowing networks, which would further shrink the risk pool. Plans are already requesting a median premium increase of 15% for 2026.13

Greater cost sharing and consumerism

From the actuarial value and PAP changes mentioned above, member premiums and out-of-pocket maximums will increase by hundreds of dollars depending on the member’s income and product.14 Health plans will need to invest in more member education on consumerism, improve member support for navigating subsidy eligibility, and update communications to reflect new benefit structures.

Zoom in: Rural health

OBBBA’s Medicaid and ACA changes pose a compounded threat to rural health systems, which often rely on public coverage and operate on thin margins. As Medicaid reimbursement declines and ACA subsidies expire, rural hospitals face an increasing risk of closure.15 Research shows that when rural hospitals close, healthcare costs at neighboring hospitals increase by 3.6%,16 a burden for which plans will be at least partly responsible. Plans may also be forced to bear additional compliance costs when rural hospitals close, as MCOs must meet network adequacy standards for transportation time, provider-to-patient ratios, and maximum patient wait times, each of which becomes more challenging when a hospital closes.17 For more on how these policy changes are impacting health system finances, read our expert insight.

How changes to the ACA marketplace will impact Medicaid and employer-sponsored insurance

For Medicaid, individuals who are denied Medicaid due to work requirements will also be barred from accessing subsidized coverage through the ACA Marketplace. For employer-sponsored insurance, OBBBA codifies existing rules for ICHRAs and introduces a new small-business tax credit to support CHOICE arrangements. Also, the PAP methodology change increases out-of-pocket maximums for group plans to $10,600 for individual coverage and $21,200 for family coverage.18

Zoom in: HSA expansion

Also notable, especially for employer-sponsored insurance plans, is that OBBBA significantly expands HSA eligibility, contributions, and usage:

  • Eligibility: People with Medicare Part A, Marketplace bronze and catastrophic plans, on-site employee clinics, and direct primary care arrangements can now have Health Savings Accounts.
  • Contributions: Contribution limits were increased, both spouses can make catch-up contributions, and people can roll over FSA and HRA funds into Health Savings Accounts.
  • Utilization: HDHPs can cover telehealth before the deductible and still have an HSA, and some sport and fitness expenses can be paid for with an HSA.

Conclusion

OBBBA marks a shift toward reduced federal support and greater consumer responsibility across public and private coverage. Health plans will need to navigate shrinking membership, rising per-member costs, and increasing compliance demands. While plans will need to make many changes across this marathon journey, plans must first invest in member support, modernize technology, and strengthen compliance infrastructure to manage the financial and operational risks ahead.

Need help analyzing how OBBBA will impact your health plan’s enrollment and finances?

1 Ortaliza J, et al. How will the One Big Beautiful Bill Act affect the ACA, Medicaid, and the uninsured rate? KFF. June 18, 2025.

2 Euhus R, et al. Allocating CBO’s estimates of federal Medicaid spending reductions across the states: Enacted Reconciliation Package. KFF. July 23, 2025.

3 Total Medicaid MCO enrollment. KFF. Accessed August 5, 2025.

4 Fact sheet: Medicaid work requirements would jeopardize health coverage and access to care for 21 million Americans. US Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed August 5, 2025.

5 Goldman AL, et al. Analysis of work requirement exemptions and Medicaid spending. JAMA Intern Med. Sept 10, 2018.

6 Sugar S, et al. Medicaid churning and continuity of care: Evidence and policy considerations before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. US Department of Health and Human Services. April 12, 2021.

7 Berkowitz SA, et al. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and health care expenditures among low-income adults. JAMA Intern Med. Nov 1, 2017.

8 Redefining Access: What OBBBA (HR1) means for dual eligibles. ATI Advisory. July 29, 2025.

9 Medicaid demonstrations and impacts on health coverage: A review of the evidence. US Department of Health and Human Services. March 10, 2021.

10 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Final Rule. CMS. June 20, 2025.

11 CMS finalizes major rule to lower individual health insurance premiums for Americans. CMS. June 20, 2025.

12 Letter from Phillip L. Swagel on he estimated effects on the number of uninsured people in 2034 resulting from policies incorporated within the CBO’s baseline projections and HR 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Congressional Budget Office. June 4, 2025.

13 Ortaliza J, et al. Individual market insurers requesting largest premium increases in more than 5 years. KFF. July 18, 2025.

14 Lukens G, Zhang E. Administration’s ACA Marketplace rule will raise health care costs for millions of families. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. August 1, 2025.

15 Katz MH. Effect of Medicaid cuts on the medical care ecosystem. JAMA. May 28, 2025.

16 Carroll C, Chang JY. Rural hospital closures led to increased prices at nearby ‘surviving’ hospitals, 2012-22. HealthAffairs. May 2025.

17 Hinton E, Raphael J. Medicaid managed care network adequacy & access: Current standards and proposed changes. KFF. June 15, 2023.

18 Gammon M, Gogna A. CMS releases revised 2026 out-of-pocket expense limits. WTW. July 8, 2025.


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