Medicaid asset test would strip coverage from millions with modest savings
H.R. 9345 — Medicaid Equal Standards Act · Filed by Michael Cloud (R-TX) · Introduced Jun 18, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires states to impose an asset test on Medicaid expansion enrollees starting in 2029, disqualifying individuals whose resources exceed $10,000 (or $20,000 if married). The threshold rises every four years with inflation. States retain flexibility to set lower limits or exclude certain assets, and the bill explicitly protects federal matching funds for states that implement these tests.
Why we flagged it
The bill's functional purpose is to narrow Medicaid eligibility for the expansion population by introducing an asset/resources test, reducing enrollment and shifting costs to beneficiaries and states. The title 'Equal Standards Act' obscures this restrictive mechanism by implying parity or fairness, when the actual effect is to impose a new barrier not previously required.
What the text implies
- The $10,000 asset threshold is substantially lower than SSI limits (~$2,000 for individuals) but will disqualify working poor with modest savings, used vehicles, or small home equity. States may exclude certain assets, but the bill does not mandate such exclusions, creating a patchwork of coverage loss.
- The bill protects federal matching funds (FMAP) for states that implement the test, meaning states face no federal penalty for disenrolling expansion beneficiaries—a perverse incentive to aggressively apply the test to reduce state Medicaid costs.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
state governments (reduced Medicaid expenditures); pharmaceutical companies (reduced Medicaid volume offset by higher private-pay prices); dialysis providers (reduced Medicaid patient volume)