Republicans in Congress are looking to cut Medicaid to pay for border enforcement and tax cuts that Democrats say will largely benefit the wealthiest.

Ocean County has the second-highest Medicaid population in the state. They are those with low- and moderate-incomes, disabilities and long-term care.

If Congressional Republicans' proposal to take $880 billion for tax cuts over a decade becomes law, N.J. could lose up to $5.2 billion

Gov. Phil Murphy outlined an annual state budget that leans hard into Medicaid to fund health care in New Jersey, including plans to further leverage the program to provide some $1.2 billion more for hospitals than they currently receive through this conduit.

Around a dozen House Republicans are uneasy about the prospect of voting for their party’s budget proposal over potential cuts to Medicaid, according to several people familiar with the conversations.

GOP lawmakers are considering a plan to limit federal matching funds for the health insurance program to pay for tax cuts.

The prospect of a federal funding freeze looms large as New Jersey legislators begin to consider a new state budget for the 2026 fiscal year.

The expiry of pandemic-era healthcare protections has led to nationwide disenrollments, often without just cause.

The possibility of Medicaid cuts has become a headache for the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress — and has handed Democrats a potent issue ahead of 2026 elections.