Ashley Hinson on Health Care: Medicaid Cuts, Work Requirements and Iowa Hospital Losses

Ashley Hinson voted for the law that KFF estimates will take Medicaid coverage from about 68,000 Iowans by 2034, voting yes on final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 3, 2025 (Roll Call 190; The Iowa Independent). Nationally, KFF reports the CBO expects the law to add 10 million people to the uninsured.

Hinson defended the Medicaid changes in public before and after the vote, saying in July 2025 that they help rural hospitals (North Iowa Now). The Iowa Hospital Association expects Iowa hospitals to lose about $4 billion over 10 years (The Iowa Independent).

Ashley Hinson's Votes and Statements on Medicaid and Health Coverage

• Hinson Voted for $1 Trillion in Federal Health Cuts in July 2025. On July 3, 2025, Ashley Hinson voted yes on final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 218 to 214 (Roll Call 190). The CBO estimates it will reduce federal health spending by over $1 trillion and add 10 million uninsured.
• Hinson Voted for the Medicaid Work Requirement. The law requires many adults on Medicaid to report work hours starting no later than December 31, 2026; the CBO estimates this provision alone cuts federal Medicaid spending by $326 billion and adds 5.3 million uninsured people in 2034. Hinson voted for it at House passage on May 22, 2025, 215 to 214 (Roll Call 145).
• Hinson Voted for Six-Month Eligibility Checks. The law requires expansion adults to prove eligibility every six months, which the CBO estimates will add 700,000 uninsured people in 2034; Hinson voted for it on July 3, 2025 (Roll Call 190).
• Hinson Said Medicaid Cuts Were Aimed at Men on Their Mothers' Couches. On May 20, 2025, Hinson said, "The intent of Medicaid is to protect those with disabilities, seniors, single mothers with children, not 29-year-old men playing video games on their mother's couch in the basement" (North Iowa Now). The same report cited the CBO's estimate that the Medicaid changes would reduce coverage by at least 7.6 million people.
• Hinson Claimed the Law Helps Rural Hospitals in July 2025. On July 10, 2025, Hinson said, "By rooting out the waste, fraud and abuse in strengthening Medicaid, we're actually making more resources available for vulnerable populations and the safety net providers like rural hospitals" (North Iowa Now). The Iowa Hospital Association said the cuts would worsen rural hospitals' already strained finances, according to the same report.
• Hinson's Ads Cite $209 Million for Rural Health Care. Hinson's campaign ads say the law "delivered more than $209 million for rural healthcare in Iowa," while KFF estimates the Medicaid cuts will mean $3.84 billion less for rural Iowa over 10 years, as the Washington Post noted and The Iowa Independent reported on May 12, 2026.

What Ashley Hinson's Medicaid Votes Mean for Iowa Patients and Hospitals

• About 68,000 Iowans are expected to lose Medicaid coverage by 2034. KFF estimates about 68,000 of Iowa's 603,000 Medicaid enrollees will lose coverage; an Iowa City mother of two children with disabilities told The Iowa Independent that people who rely on Medicaid are scared.
• Iowa hospitals expect to lose about $4 billion and may cut services for everyone. The Iowa Hospital Association said hospitals would have to reduce labor or services, and "when those services go away, they don't just go away for the Medicaid population" (The Iowa Independent).
• One in five Iowans relies on Medicaid or Hawki. About 700,000 Iowans are covered by Medicaid, including Hawki for children, according to Iowa HHS figures cited by Iowa Public Radio, so paperwork and work-hour rules reach a large share of Iowa families.

Frequently Asked Questions Ashley Hinson on Health Care

Last updated: 2026-10-28

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