On the 2nd day of repeal, the GOP took from me: rural hospitals.
If the Affordable Care Act gets repealed, Medicaid expansion will be eliminated, threatening vital funding for rural hospitals nationwide. Medicaid expansion provides key support for rural hospitals and, in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid, rural hospitals are drowning under financial pressure. Low occupancy rates, high levels of uncompensated care, competition with other hospitals, and struggling local economies create a financial burden that rural hospitals face all over the country.
Republicans continue to block Medicaid expansion in 10 states, keeping millions from accessing coverage and essential health care. Since 2005, more than 150 rural hospitals have closed, including 20 closures in 2020 alone. In 2023, over 600 rural hospitals are at risk of closing in the near future, and it is estimated that if those hospitals shut down, 99,000 health care jobs in rural communities will be lost. If the GOP gets their way, rural hospitals will be left without critical funding, turning a bad problem into a worse one.
Read More:
The MAGA Republican War on American Health Care
As Savings Soar Ahead of First Anniversary of Inflation Reduction Act, Republicans Threaten Repeal