If Republicans mess with Medicaid, then Republicans will lose Congress permanently.
I think you might have meant Medicare. However you make a good point. No matter the facts all people will hear “They are killing the most vulnerable!” Also the “cuts” will be used as a pro abortion talking point. “Abortion is needed because Medicaid cuts mean childbirth is no longer an affordable option.”
Is cutting fraud and making able bodied adults work a good idea, yes. But the Republicans lost the propaganda war. And the reality is no matter how reasonable any changes to the Medicaid budget are we will lose Congress if they are seen as targeting the poor for the benefit of the rich.
It’s a big government, there must be other places to pull waste and fraud from.
1) Most Medicaid goes to doctors, hospitals, not to poor people.
2) Second most Medicaid goes to Accenture, DeLoitte and thousands of big and small consulting firms and consultants, to to poor people.
3) 5% of what consultants work on might benefit poor people, might have useful reason to exist.
95% is consultants benefitting their fellow consultants.