Republicans' Proposed Medicaid Cuts Would Hit Rural Patients Hard

[Jimbo101]

NPR

For the hundreds of rural U.S. hospitals struggling to stay in business, health policy decisions made in Washington, D.C., this summer could make survival a lot tougher.

Since 2010, at least 79 rural hospitals have closed across the country, and nearly 700 more are at risk of closing. These hospitals serve a largely older, poorer and sicker population than most hospitals, making them particularly vulnerable to changes made to Medicaid funding.

"A lot of hospitals like [ours] could get hurt," says Kerry Noble, CEO of Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems, which runs the public hospital in Pemiscot County, one of the poorest in Missouri.

The GOP's American Health Care Act would cut Medicaid — the public insurance program for many low-income families, children and elderly Americans, as well as people with disabilities — by as much as $834 billion. The Congressional Budget Office has said that would result in 23 million more people being uninsured in the next 10 years. Even more could lose coverage under the budget proposed by President Trump, which suggests an additional $610 billion in cuts to the program.

[democratisphere]

1. Wonder how long it will be before the deplorables stop cheering at

the drumpf rallies.

[TomSlick]

2. When small town hospitals

bankrupt and close, MAYBE the Trumpsters will wonder if gutting Medicaid was such a good idea. I doubt it - but maybe.

[pangaia]

3. Then they will blame it on Obama care.

[Blue_true]

4. Exactly.

They will accuse Obama of bait and switch for Obama giving them care and Trump taking it away from them.

[TomSlick]

5. True

The travesty of Trump care is going to result in the closure of small town hospitals in the very part of the country that supported Trump the most. This is going to be a self-inflicted wound of amazing proportions. Poor people of going to die so the super rick can be richer.

[davsand]

6. Shame so many rural voters voted republican, isn't it...

The ones I feel the most sympathy for are all the seniors facing nursing home decisions. After 30 days Medicare stops paying for nursing home care. They either go broke paying for it, they go live with kids, or they go home to die. Small nursing homes have no cushion in the budget--they will have no choice in the matter.



Laura

[Yavin4]

7. They will blame coastal elites for not caring.

As always.