Sullivan voted for the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that cut Medicaid by $1 trillion over 10 years and resulted in over 36,000 Alaskans losing health coverage. Sullivan claimed that Alaska was in “good shape” regarding Medicaid funding following passage of the bill, calling it a “big win” for rural hospitals and healthcare. Sullivan applauded the Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHTF) included in the bill as “huge for Alaska.” The Center For Medicaid And Medicare Services (CMS), however, capped usage of the $50 billion fund at 15% for health provider payments, including to rural hospitals. Sullivan also panned the Affordable Care Act and failed repeatedly to vote to uphold the subsidies that Alaskans needed to keep access to their heath care.
Sullivan Evaded A Question Regarding Cuts To Medicaid But Implied He Was Open To Cutting The Program, Calling For Greater Private-Sector Insurance. According to the Alaska Beacon, “State Sen. Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage, asked whether Sullivan would oppose cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, and asked the senator to answer ‘yes or no.’ Sullivan refused, but his answer implied that he’s open to cuts. ‘Almost one-third of Alaskans … are on the rolls of Medicaid now. We, I think, accept that. Some see it as a good. I don’t see it as a good. I think our goal should be to increase our private-sector economy and increase the opportunities for people to move off Medicaid and get private-sector insurance,’ Sullivan said.” [Alaska Beacon, 3/20/25]
The So-Called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Was Slated To Cut Medicaid By $1 Trillion Over 10 years. According to the National Health Law Program, “On July 4th, President Trump signed the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) into law, enacting the most sweeping—and harmful—Medicaid cuts in history. The law slashes $990 billion from Medicaid over the next decade, eliminating Medicaid coverage for at least 10 million people and destabilizing the health care infrastructure. An additional 4 million people could lose coverage due to cuts to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace.” [National Health Law Program, 8/22/25]
Roughly One In Three Alaskans Received Health Care Through Medicaid. According to the Alaska Beacon, “Roughly 1 in 3 Alaskans receives health care through Medicaid, a federal-state program for people with low incomes, as well as the primary payer for most nursing home residents. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive think tank opposed to the big bill, estimated that 35,000 Alaskans would lose health insurance if the bill becomes law, both from Medicaid and from a scaling-back in tax credits to pay for individual health insurance.” [Alaska Beacon, 7/1/25]
Over Half Of Alaska’s Children Were On Medicaid. According to Alaska Public Media, “About 38% of Alaskans, 279,000 people, were on Medicaid in 2024, according to the state’s Department of Health. That includes 57% of Alaska children, 35% of Alaska adults and 15% of Alaska seniors. Alaska is heavily dependent on the program. Last year, only New Mexico had a greater percentage of its population on Medicaid, and Alaska was a close second.” [Alaska Public Media, 3/11/25]
Alaskan Planned Parenthood Patients Could No Longer Use Their Medicaid To Access Care After The Bill Was Enacted. According to Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, “Patients across Alaska can no longer use their Medicaid coverage at Planned Parenthood health centers — a direct result of the votes cast by Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Dan Sullivan, and Representative Nick Begich in support of the Big, Bad, Budget bill (H.R. 1). Their actions are devastating health care access across the state, targeting the patients who can least afford to lose it.” [Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, 9/30/25]
Between 9,400 And 13,600 Medicaid Recipients Were Projected To Lose Access To Coverage And Care Because Of The OBBBA, According To A Report Fielded By The Alaska Department Of Health. According to Anchorage Daily News, “More than 9,000 Alaskans could lose access to Medicaid under a federal bill enacted last year, according to a new report prepared for the Alaska Department of Health. The bill, backed by all three members of Alaska’s congressional delegation, extended tax cuts first enacted during President Donald Trump’s first term. To partially pay for the tax cuts, the bill made massive reductions to spending on Medicaid and other programs. […] In Alaska, between 9,400 and 13,600 recipients are projected to lose access to Medicaid because they fail to meet those requirements or submit the required paperwork, according to the report, produced for the state health department by Manatt, a consulting firm.” [Anchorage Daily News, 2/24/26]
Sullivan Claimed That Individuals Who Lost Medicaid As A Result Of New Requirements Were Doing So By Choice: “That Is Not A Medicaid Cut – That Is A Choice From That Individual.” According to Anchorage Daily News, “Sullivan said that if individuals lose Medicaid access because they are unable to meet the new work, study or volunteer requirements, ‘that is not a Medicaid cut — that is a choice from that individual.’ ‘I think it’s important, as I mentioned, for those individuals to encourage them to advance and help their community through school through volunteering, through training,’ said Sullivan.” [Anchorage Daily News, 2/23/26]
Sullivan Claimed Medicare Was Not Impacted By The Bill And That “Not One Dollar In Medicaid Benefits Was Cut For Alaskans”, Arguing That The “Only People Who Were Advocating For Medicaid Cuts Were [...] Democrats.” According to an Anchorage Daily News op-ed by Senator Dan Sullivan, “Finally, I know Alaska has been flooded with dishonest ads by far-left groups — at the direction of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer — scaring Alaskans with false claims that the OBBB will cause them to lose Medicare and Medicaid. Here’s the truth. Medicare isn’t touched in the OBBB. Not one dollar in Medicaid benefits was cut for Alaskans. This bill actually strengthens health care in Alaska. The only people who were advocating for Medicaid cuts for Alaskans were Sen. Schumer and Senate Democrats. They stripped out a provision I included in the bill to help Alaska’s rural hospitals and increase the federal match for Medicaid for Alaska, which would’ve amounted to hundreds of millions more dollars a year.” [Senator Dan Sullivan Op-Ed - Anchorage Daily News, 7/11/25]
Sullivan Claimed That Senator Schumer Attempted To Strip $200 Million In Funding for Alaskan Health Care. According to an Anchorage Daily News op-ed by Senator Dan Sullivan, “Further, Sen. Schumer tried, but failed, to strip out other significant funding — approximately $200 million a year for the next five years — for Alaska’s health care system.” [Senator Dan Sullivan Op-Ed - Anchorage Daily News, 7/11/25]
Sullivan Argued That Medicaid Cut Estimates Were Inaccurate For Alaska As The State Did Not Use Provider Taxes Or State Directed Payments. According to the Alaska Beacon, “Sullivan said he believes estimates of the cuts’ effect are inaccurate when it comes to Alaska. For example, one change would effectively lower payments to providers by reducing a tax on providers that is reimbursed by the federal government. ‘We are the only state that doesn’t use provider taxes or state directed payments, so the Medicaid programs and federal funds that the state receives are not impacted by the provided tax reforms in this bill, because we don’t do that,’ he said.” [Alaska Beacon, 7/1/25]
Sullivan Supported The Medicaid Work Requirement Included In The Bill. According to the Alaska Beacon, “Adult Alaskans who receive Medicaid will be required to work, volunteer or undergo job training for at least 20 hours per week unless they are sick, have children or care for older people. Sullivan said he supports that requirement and noted that Alaska Natives are exempt, as are people who live in places with high unemployment, have mental health problems or are pregnant.” [Alaska Beacon, 7/1/25]
When Asked About The Ban On Medicaid Funds Used For Planned Parenthood, Sullivan Said Alaskans Have Other Options. According to the Alaska Beacon, “A non-Alaska-specific portion of the bill bans Medicaid from paying for any services at Planned Parenthood. Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, said by email that the provision puts millions of lives at risk across the country. ‘Our health centers save Alaska nearly $5 million each year by preventing unplanned pregnancies, catching cancers early, and controlling the spread of STIs (sexually transmitted infections). Stripping that care away, especially now — amid rural hospital closures, a maternal mortality crisis, and a deepening provider shortage — would push an already broken system past the brink,’ she said. Asked about that section, Sullivan said he thinks Alaskans have other options, such as hospitals and community health centers.” [Alaska Beacon, 7/1/25]
Sullivan Said He Was “Really Focused” On Increasing The Share Of Medicaid Paid For By The Federal Government In Alaska, But That He Did Not Consider Voting Against The Bill When That Did Not Happen. According to the Anchorage Daily News, “In a press call Tuesday afternoon, Sullivan said he was ‘really, really, really focused’ on increasing the share of Alaska’s Medicaid costs covered by the federal government. ‘I literally went all the way to very senior folks in the administration and all my Republican colleagues, saying, ‘I need this provision,’ he said. When the provision was stripped from the bill after the Senate parliamentarian found it violated chamber rules, Sullivan said it was “a giant, enormous frustration.’ ‘I had a little bit of a dark night of the soul,’ said Sullivan. ‘When you work hard on something that you know is right for the people you represent, and then it kind of goes down the drain, it was frustrating.’ But he said he didn’t consider voting against the bill when that happened.” [Anchorage Daily News, 7/1/25]
Sullivan Boasted About Crusading Against The Affordable Care Act As Alaska’s Attorney General. According to Alaska Public Media, “Sullivan, for instance, often says he was one of the lead AGs in the country to challenge the legality of ‘Obamacare.’ ‘In terms of credibility candidates, I’m the one who sat down, the one who sued on this, the one who laid out a lot of the intellectual framework of why we thought (the Affordable Care Act) was unconstitutional,’ he said. Sullivan’s name is on a 2010 memo to Gov. Sean Parnell analyzing the legality of the Affordable Care Act.” [Alaska Public Media, 7/21/24]
2015: Sullivan Advocated For Repealing The Affordable Care Act, Claiming “No Place” Had Been Hurt By The ACA “More Than In Alaska.” According to a press release from Sen. Sullivan, “U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) spoke on the Senate floor today, calling on his colleagues to pass the Restoring Americans' Health Care Freedom Reconciliation Act, which would repeal the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare. If it passes, it will be the first time a bill to repeal will end up on the president’s desk. During his remarks (available here, with excerpts below), Senator Sullivan talked about how the act was hurting the country, but no place more than in Alaska.” [Press Release – Sen. Sullivan, 12/3/15]
2017: Sullivan Touted A New Resolution To Repeal ObamaCare. According to a press release from Sen. Sullivan, “U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) today commented on the ObamaCare repeal resolution that passed the U.S. Senate earlier this evening with his support. ‘Today the Senate took the first major step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act, keeping our promise to the American people,’ said Senator Sullivan. […] ‘The Affordable Care Act is not affordable for thousands of Alaskans. Doing nothing is not an option.’” [Press Release – Sen. Sullivan, 1/12/17]
Sullivan Acknowledged That The Credits Allowed Working Alaskans To Afford Better Health Care But Would Not Commit To Supporting Their Extension. According to Anchorage Daily News, “Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has been one of the lone Republicans in Congress to speak in favor of extending ACA premium tax credits, a move that is broadly supported by congressional Democrats and opposed by many in the GOP. Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan ‘is fully aware that the cost of health insurance in Alaska is high, and that many working Alaskans can better afford health care coverage because of the enhanced tax credits,’ his spokesperson Amanda Coyne said in a written statement Wednesday. Sullivan has not committed to supporting an extension of the tax credits.” [Anchorage Daily News, 5/15/25]
Sullivan Said He Would Never Vote For The Democratic Plan To Extend Healthcare Subsidies Amidst An Impending Shutdown, Claiming A Need For Reform. According to the Alaska Beacon, “The issue has now gotten entangled with the impending government shutdown. Senate Democrats have demanded — among other things — a permanent extension of the health care subsidies, without changes, in exchange for their votes on keeping the federal government open. Sen. Dan Sullivan also supports an extension of the subsidies, but ‘there's no way I would ever vote for that,’ he said of the Democratic plan. ‘I do think there's bipartisan support to get this done. We've just got to power through these different issues,’ he said by phone. He identified three hurdles for the subsidies. ‘It's how long you extend them; are there pay-fors (budget cuts to compensate for the cost of the extension) … but the most important and complicated — and we just did a deep dive on this, and I do think there's bipartisan support on this, is reforms,’ Sullivan said. ‘We are looking at ways to reform the system to make it work for the people who need it and are using it honestly, but have a disincentive against those who have been abusing it,’ he said. ‘We're getting there. It's complicated. I think the reform piece is going to be the most complicated, but I'm hopeful, and I'm putting a lot of effort into it,’ Sullivan said.” [Alaska Beacon, 9/23/25]
Sullivan Claimed Reform Of ACA Subsidies Was Needed To Stop Fraud And Abuse. According to Alaska’s News Source, “‘Senator Sullivan is working with the White House and his Senate colleagues to extend ACA subsidies with reforms before the end of the year, and lowering health care costs for Alaskans,’ Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, spokesperson Devyn Shea, said in a statement Thursday. ‘Senator Sullivan recognizes that because of the high cost of health care delivery in Alaska, thousands of small business owners, fishermen, entrepreneurs, and others across the state rely on those subsidies. At the same time, Senator Sullivan recognizes that reforms to the ACA program are needed to stem waste, fraud and abuse.’” [Alaska’s News Source, 11/20/25]
Sullivan Called For Healthcare Subsidies To Be “Taper[ed] Down” With A Two-Year Extension To Protect From A “Giant Cliff” That Would Hurt Americans. According to Alaska’s News Source, “Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, told Anchorage business leaders and state representatives Monday he wants to ‘taper down’ federal healthcare subsidies for nearly 28,000 Alaskans, fresh off the fight Senate Democrats waged to sustain the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, credits, which expire next year. ‘I’ve been working with ... senators, the White House on how you would look to reform not only the premium tax credits (and) taper them so you don’t have this giant cliff that is really going to hurt people,’ he said, answering a question from the audience during the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Make it Monday’ forum, ‘but also do something that we think, and most people think makes a lot of sense, which is reform the system.’ [...] ‘The broader reforms are to take that money, not for the insurance companies, get it to Alaskans directly - let them choose through what we call health savings accounts on where to spend that money,’ Sullivan said in an interview following the event. ‘To get there, I think you need a two-year extension with reforms.’” [Alaska’s News Source, 11/25/25]
2025: Sullivan Effectively Voted Against A FY 2026 Democratic Stopgap Measure That Would Permanently Extend The ACA Subsidies. In October 2025, Sullivan voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to invoke cloture on the Schumer motion to proceed to the bill.” The vote was on the cloture motion. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote 47 to 50. [Senate Vote 557, 10/9/25; Congressional Quarterly, 10/9/25; Congressional Actions, S.2882]
2025: Sullivan Effectively Voted Against A FY 2026 Democratic Stopgap Measure That Would Permanently Extend The ACA Subsidies. In October 2025, Sullivan voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to invoke cloture on the Schumer motion to proceed to the bill, upon reconsideration.” The vote was on passage. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote 45 to 50. [Senate Vote 550, 10/8/25; Congressional Quarterly, 10/8/25; Congressional Actions, S.2882]
2025: Sullivan Effectively Voted Against A FY 2026 Democratic Stopgap Measure That Would Permanently Extend The ACA Subsidies. In October 2025, Sullivan voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to invoke cloture on the Schumer, D-N.Y., motion to proceed to the bill.” The vote was on the cloture motion. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote 45 to 50. [Senate Vote 544, 10/6/25; Congressional Quarterly, 10/6/25; Congressional Actions, S.2882]
2025: Sullivan Effectively Voted Against A FY 2026 Democratic Stopgap Measure That Would Permanently Extend The ACA Subsidies. In September 2025, Sullivan voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to invoke cloture on the Schumer, D-N.Y., motion to proceed to the bill.” The vote was on the cloture motion. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote 46 to 52. [Senate Vote 542, 10/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 10/3/25; Congressional Actions, S.2882]
2025: Sullivan Effectively Voted Against A FY 2026 Democratic Stopgap Measure That Would Permanently Extend The ACA Subsidies. In September 2025, Sullivan voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to invoke cloture on the Schumer, D-N.Y., motion to proceed to the bill.” The vote was on passage. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote 47 to 53. [Senate Vote 536, 10/1/25; Congressional Quarterly, 10/1/25; Congressional Actions, S.2882]
2025: Sullivan Voted For A Stopgap Measure That Would Extend Funding At The FY 2025 Level, Excluding An Extension OF ACA Subsidies. In September 2025, Sullivan voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill, upon reconsideration, that would provide funding for continued operations of the federal government through Nov. 21, 2025 at an annualized rate equal to enacted fiscal 2025 funding.” The vote was on passage. The Senate rejected the bill by a vote of 55 to 45. [Senate Vote 535, 9/30/25; Congressional Quarterly, 9/30/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5371]
2025: Sullivan Voted Against A FY 2026 Democratic Stopgap Measure That Would Permanently Extend The ACA Subsidies. In September 2025, Sullivan voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill, upon reconsideration, that would provide funding for continued operations of the federal government through Oct. 31, 2025 at an annualized rate equal to enacted fiscal 2025 funding. Among its policy provisions, the bill would permanently extend the 2010 health care law enhanced premium tax credit.” The vote was on passage. The Senate rejected the bill by a vote 47 to 53. [Senate Vote 534, 9/30/25; Congressional Quarterly, 9/30/25; Congressional Actions, S.2882]
Sullivan Claimed Alaskans “Paid The Price” For Health Insurance Companies’ “Record Profits” Under Obamacare. Sen. Sullivan posted, “Under Obamacare, health insurance companies have amassed record profits, while Alaskans have paid the price. #SOTU2026” [Twitter, @SenDanSullivan, 2/24/26]
[VIDEO] Sullivan Claimed That Obamacare Had “Not Been Affordable For Anybody.” “And then finally, another one that I've been working with the administration on in terms of health care. We certainly have challenges. Obamacare has not been affordable for anybody, but the bringing down of prescription drug prices that they are undertaking that we're working on in the Congress. These are giant reductions for health care costs that we've been trying to achieve for decades.” [CBS 5 Anchorage: Alaska’s News Source, 2/25/26]; 260225_HEB_16518_A
Nearly 36,000 Alaskans Were Expected To Lose Health Insurance With Medicaid And ACA Losses Combined. According to American Journal News, “The Medicaid cut was delivered via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), which passed the House and Senate last year with only Republican votes. It will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid by 2034. The bulk of those savings will go toward tax breaks for the ultrawealthy. Nearly 36,000 Alaskans are expected to lose health insurance altogether as a result.” [American Journal News, 3/10/26]