LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Democratic Party have been on a full-blown doom and gloom tour since President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” entered public debate. According to their press releases, social media blitzes, and fundraising emails, the legislation, which was signed into law on July 4, is supposed to unleash death, despair, and Medicaid destruction across the Mitten to hundreds of thousands of Michiganders.
There’s just one problem: no one in Michigan has actually lost their health care because of the bill.
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In the past week (and beyond), the governor has claimed that hundreds of thousands of Michiganders will be left high and dry – stripped of Medicaid, SNAP, and Affordable Care Act coverage. But when Michigan News Source reached out to Whitmer’s office and the Michigan Democratic Party and asked for just one name of someone who has lost coverage, or the names of any hospitals that have closed, we got nothing but crickets back from them.
If the GOP’s “Big Beautiful Bill” passes:
– More than 200,000 Michiganders would lose Medicaid coverage.
– 4 of our rural hospitals could be forced to close or drastically reduce services.
– More than 300,000 would lose access to SNAP food assistance.
– We would lose $16.2…— Gretchen Whitmer (@gretchenwhitmer) June 30, 2025
Projections, not proof.
The figures of mass devastation cited by Democrats are based on projections from organizations like the Citizens Research Council of Michigan and the Kaiser Family Foundation. They are not case studies or records of individuals who have lost coverage. They are projections that estimate how many people could be affected by new eligibility checks and work requirements – “could” being the operative word.
Much of the messaging that the Democratic Party and left-wing media outlets use includes the phrase “at risk” to describe potential impacts that could bring harm to Michiganders. One such article comes from Michigan Advance which describes how the Michigan Democratic Party plans to highlight anyone in the state who loses coverage because of the Big Beautiful Bill.
In the article, they highlight Melissa Schroeder of Clare and her adult daughter, Kaylee, who has Down syndrome. Melissa expresses fears that Kaylee might lose her Medicaid coverage under the newly signed Trump tax bill. But in reading the article, you learn that Kaylee still has her insurance and no changes have taken effect. Their story, like others being promoted by Michigan Democrats, is rooted in speculation about what could happen, not in any confirmed loss of benefits.
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Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel Jr. told Michigan Advance about the party’s future plans, “We’re not just having press events where I pontificate about what actually happens. We are going to be telling real people’s stories across the state. I think it’s more powerful, but I also think it’s more true, and authentic and real.” However, no such stories seem to have materialized yet.
Concern about Democratic Party fear mongering.
A press release from Whitmer’s office even bragged that 15,000 people wrote in to say they’re concerned about losing coverage. This was before the bill took effect. That’s not evidence of a system collapse – that’s just inbox inflation and a response to the fear mongering coming out of Whitmer and the Democratic Party.
Hospitals are still standing.
Meanwhile, Democratic operatives and their media partners are also busy warning that hospitals are about to shut down because of the Big Beautiful Bill. The Michigan Democratic Party even emailed their supporters that Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital is on death’s doorstep because of Trump and the Republican Party. But the hospital has already closed. The hospital and ER transitioned into a rural health clinic in April of 2024, long before Trump’s bill was signed.
As of today, not a single hospital in Michigan has closed as a result of President Trump’s recently signed bill – despite dramatic claims from political opponents suggesting otherwise. These doomsday warnings appear to be nothing more than political fear mongering designed to stir up public anxiety.
Reforms, not ruin.
Let’s be clear about what the bill actually does according to those who were involved in writing it. According to Republican lawmakers, the bill doesn’t slash Medicaid – it reforms it. The legislation restores Medicaid’s original purpose: providing health care to those who truly need it – low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Under the new rules, able-bodied adults without dependents (ages 19-64) must meet basic work or training requirements – a whopping 80 hours per month of paid employment, volunteering, community service or part-time school or training. Fraud is also being targeted and waste is being cut.
People who don’t belong on the rolls will finally get the boot. So yes, people gaming the system might have a harder time staying on the rolls – but that’s not a flaw. That’s a fix. And it will give the program a shot at being sustainable – or at least sustainable for a little longer.
Conclusion: scary emails ≠ reality.
With no actual Medicaid losses to show, Democrats have pivoted to what critics say is their go-to strategy: sounding the alarm to rally donations for their campaigns, state parties, and aligned nonprofits.
Despite the warnings from Democratic leaders, there have been no confirmed cases of individuals losing insurance due to the president’s bill, no hospital closures, and no statewide emergencies. Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Democratic Party continue to voice concern, but so far, those concerns haven’t materialized into real-world consequences. We’ll revisit the situation in six months to see if any concrete examples emerge – or if the rhetoric continues without supporting evidence.
