Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' is facing mounting criticism in Arizona, where Democrats and health advocates say new healthcare rules are forcing cancer and substance abuse patients to prove they 'deserve' coverage, even as tens of thousands lose access to insurance and food aid. The backlash, voiced by state officials and clinicians in Phoenix this week, centres on stricter Medicaid eligibility requirements introduced under Trump's sweeping tax and spending law.
The controversy follows the bill's passage last year, which cut billions from Medicaid and tightened access to public assistance programmes, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In Arizona alone, more than 300,000 people lost SNAP benefits within six months, according to reports, while healthcare coverage has steadily declined.
