A red state reckons with Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'

Few states stand to lose as much from the megabill that President Donald Trump signed into law as Louisiana.

WALKER, La. — Few states stand to lose as much from the megabill that President Donald Trump signed into law as Louisiana.

With more poverty and disease than most of the country, Louisiana relies heavily on Medicaid benefits going to people who lack the means to cover a doctor’s visit on their own.

That fragile lifeline is now in jeopardy.

The “Big Beautiful Bill” that Trump muscled through Congress chops Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade.

Out of sheer self-interest, Louisiana might seem a state that would fight to preserve Medicaid. About 35% of Louisianans under the age of 65 were covered by Medicaid in 2023, the most recent year data was available. That figure is the second highest among the 50 states, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy organization.