Washington, D.C. — National Economic Council (NEC) Director Kevin Hassett has urged Americans concerned about health insurance access to “get a job,” his comments coming one week after President Donald Trump signed the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”—a tax and spending measure that slashes Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion and imposes new work requirements on recipients.
Hassett’s remarks, made July 6 on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” echo a sentiment shared last month by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who used the same phrase when addressing health insurance worries tied to the legislation. The director doubled down on the message in a separate interview with Fox News, framing the bill as a win that “stopped waste, fraud and abuse” and arguing “everyone should celebrate it.”
The Bill’s Provisions and CBO’s Dire Forecast
The “Big Beautiful Bill” centers on two controversial changes to Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health coverage to low-income Americans, children, and people with disabilities: a nearly $1 trillion cut to funding and the addition of work requirements for eligible adults.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO)—the nonpartisan agency that analyzes legislative impacts—has issued stark assessments of the legislation. Its experts project the Senate version of the bill could leave 12 million people without health coverage, while the House version (evaluated in a letter to House members) would result in 10.8 million losing coverage.
The CBO’s House analysis included an additional warning: Few of those who lose Medicaid under the bill will gain insurance through employment, and none will qualify for tax credits to offset the cost of private premiums. When asked to respond to Hassett’s criticisms of its estimates, the CBO declined to comment.
Hassett Defends the Bill, Disputes CBO Data
Hassett pushed back against the CBO’s projections during his media appearances, arguing the agency failed to account for job growth the bill would generate. He claimed the legislation will create “many jobs” that come with employer-sponsored insurance—an outcome he said the CBO omitted from its calculations, leading to what he called “nonsensical” coverage-loss numbers.
“The best way to get insurance is to get a job,” Hassett told CBS. He further contested the CBO’s 12 million figure, asserting that roughly 5 million of those projected to lose Medicaid already have alternative insurance: “If they lose one, they’re still insured.”
Pushback: Most Medicaid Users Already Work, KFF Data Shows
Hassett’s “get a job” framing has drawn skepticism, however, due to data showing most Medicaid recipients are already employed. A 2023 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)—a nonpartisan health policy research group—found that nearly two-thirds of Medicaid adults (ages 19–64) have jobs.
For the roughly one-third who do not work, the KFF report explains the majority (almost 30% of all Medicaid adults) are exempt from work requirements under the new bill: They are caregivers for family members, living with illnesses or disabilities, or enrolled in school. Only fewer than 8% of Medicaid users are individuals who can work but cannot find employment— the small subset that might potentially benefit from the bill’s promised job growth.
Supporters vs. Critics: Clashing Visions for Medicaid
Supporters of the bill, including Hassett, argue the Medicaid cuts will curb “waste, fraud and abuse” in the program, while work requirements will encourage “personal responsibility” and reduce overall government spending.
Critics—including members of both major parties—counter that the changes will disproportionately harm low-income and vulnerable Americans, who rely on Medicaid for essential care. They warn the cuts and work rules could leave millions without access to medical services, deepening health disparities.
Experts have also flagged administrative burdens in the new work requirements: Recipients will be forced to log and report their work hours, and prove exemptions if they cannot work. Even those who meet the rules, analysts say, risk losing coverage due to paperwork delays or reporting errors.
The bill’s proponents, including the Trump administration, have pledged it will create 7 million new jobs to offset coverage losses. But with the CBO and KFF data casting doubt on that promise— and most Medicaid users already employed—debate over the legislation’s impact on health insurance access is likely to persist.
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