The Movement: The think tank at the center of the MAGA Medicaid firestorm

A young, well-connected think tank is at the center of Republicans’ efforts to reform Medicaid as part of President Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” — and the divide in the party about how far to go with cuts. 

Here’s one sign of the impact of Paragon Health Institute, founded in 2021 and led by former first Trump administration economic adviser Brian Blase: Metadata for a letter Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) put out this month advocating for controversial Medicaid reforms listed Blase as the author.