Congresswoman Tenney Sets the Record Straight: One Big Beautiful Bill Ends Medicaid Loopholes and Protects Taxpayers

Oswego, New York — Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today highlighted how the One Big Beautiful Bill closes Obamacare eligibility loopholes that Albany exploited for years, ensuring fairness for taxpayers and protecting federal health care programs for American citizens.

For too long, New York used federal funds to sidestep the long-standing five-year waiting period for noncitizens enrolling in Medicaid, signed into law during the Clinton Administration, by enrolling them in its state-run plan at the expense of taxpayers. This misguided policy allowed noncitizens to receive more generous benefits than American citizens, diverting billions in federal taxpayer dollars to subsidize Albany-run health care for noncitizens. Not only is this eligibility exception for noncitizens not fair to Americans on Medicaid that are ineligible for Premium Tax Credits (PTC) for Obamacare plans, but it incentivizes immigration for the wrong reasons. Immigration to the U.S. should be based on factors like humanitarian concerns or economic opportunity; not immediate access to public welfare.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers long-overdue accountability by establishing parity between Obamacare PTC eligibility and Medicaid eligibility,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “This reform restores fairness to Americans on Medicaid and the Obamacare exchanges, stops taxpayer dollars from subsidizing health care for non-Americans, and safeguards resources for citizens and long-term lawful residents. New Yorkers deserve a health care system that is sustainable and transparent, not one distorted by politicians’ radical attempts to force New Yorkers into a one-size-fits-all, government-controlled health care system.”

By closing this loophole, the One Big Beautiful Bill reinforces the principle of self-sufficiency, deters immigration driven by welfare incentives, and ensures that federal health care programs put the American people first.

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