What the “Big Beautiful Bill” Really Means for Health Care

Here we are again—watching congressional Republicans push the so-called Big Beautiful Bill (BBB). Two Republican senators say they’ll vote against it, but they’re also planning to retire at the end of their terms and we need four Republicans to vote against the bill in the Senate. So, what difference will two Republicans really make?

Here’s the real issue: this bill could cause millions of people to lose their health insurance. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the BBB would:

• Cut Medicaid and reduce ACA (Affordable Care Act) marketplace coverage

• Result in 11.8 million people losing insurance

• Fail to renew tax credits that help people afford coverage, leading to another 4.2 million losing their plans

• In total, that’s 16 million newly uninsured people

These aren’t undocumented immigrants—we’re talking about the working poor, people with disabilities, and elderly individuals who rely on Medicaid to help cover the cost of assisted living.

Some politicians like to say these folks should just "get jobs with benefits." But the reality is:

• Only 29% of small businesses that offer health insurance fully cover individual plans

• Among larger companies, only 5% do
  (Source: KFF, 2023)

Even for those lucky enough to have coverage through work, the costs can be overwhelming. According to a 2023 report, the average employee contribution was:

• $6,575 per year for a family plan (about $548/month)

• $1,401 per year for an individual plan

And if this bill passes, experts expect these numbers to go up. Why? Because when 16 million people lose coverage, the cost burden shifts. Premiums for employer-sponsored plans will likely rise, which could hurt small businesses that try to offer 100% coverage—and could also raise prices on everyday goods and services as businesses look to make up the difference.

There’s more: cuts to Medicaid will hit community clinics, nursing homes, and local assisted living centers hard. Some may have to close, forcing people to travel farther for care—or to visit sick loved ones.

So yes, the Big Beautiful Bill will change health care. But it’s not about reducing costs for regular folks. It’s about pushing more of the financial burden onto working families, small businesses, and vulnerable communities.

And all of this? It’s being done to make room for tax breaks for the wealthiest 1%.

Sources:

https://www.sackettinsurance.net/blog/what-percentage-of-health-insurance-costs-do-employers-cover

https://www.peoplekeep.com/blog/what-percent-of-health-insurance-is-paid-by-employers#