Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Bernie Sanders of Vermont have raised alarm over the potential health consequences of the Republican-led ‘big beautiful bill’ and its plan to halt the extension of enhanced Obamacare premium tax credits. According to a study commissioned by the two senators and conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and Yale School of Public Health’s Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis, the proposed changes could lead to the deaths of 51,000 Americans each year. The analysis, released by Wyden and Sanders, warns that the cuts to Medicaid and the termination of enhanced tax credits could disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families. Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, emphasized the ‘life or death’ stakes of the debate, calling the proposal ‘morally bankrupt’ and a ‘death sentence for struggling Americans.’
The study’s findings are based on projections that 7.7 million people may lose Medicaid or Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage by 2034, with an additional 1.38 million dual-eligible beneficiaries facing disenrollment. Wyden outlined specific death projections, including 11,300 fatalities linked to the loss of Medicaid or ACA coverage, 18,200 deaths from the removal of Medicaid coverage for low-income beneficiaries, and 13,000 deaths from the rollback of a nursing home minimum staffing rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He also cited 8,811 expected deaths annually due to the failure to extend enhanced Obamacare tax credits.
Sanders, a leading voice in the Democratic Party, echoed Wyden’s concerns, stating that the reconciliation bill is not just ‘bad public policy’ but a ‘death sentence for struggling Americans.’ He accused the proposal of prioritizing tax breaks for billionaires over healthcare access, warning that the policy would ‘not only will some of the most vulnerable people throughout our country suffer, but tens of thousands will die.’ The Democrats argue that the cuts to healthcare benefits would exacerbate existing health disparities, leading to preventable deaths, particularly among the elderly and low-income populations.
The study, published on the University of Pennsylvania’s website, was based on peer-reviewed research that was completed independently before the senators requested its use. A representative from the university clarified that the report was submitted in response to a specific request from Wyden and Sanders to translate the research findings into mortality estimates. Despite these projections, the Republicans have defended the proposal, framing it as a necessary step to fund tax cuts and reduce the national debt. The issue has sparked intense political debate, with the Democrats framing the discussion as a moral imperative to protect public health and the Republicans emphasizing fiscal responsibility and economic growth.
Fox News Digital reached out to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who was instrumental in advancing the ‘big beautiful bill’ in the House, for comment, but no further information has been provided. The controversy highlights the deepening ideological divide over healthcare policy, with the Democrats warning of catastrophic public health consequences and the Republicans defending their approach as a necessary economic reform.