The potential $1 trillion Medicaid cuts over the next decade pose a significant risk to rural hospitals, particularly in areas like Webster County, Nebraska. Tyler Sherman, a nurse, expresses concern for local farmers and residents relying on the Webster County Community Hospital. If cuts occur, the hospital and its affiliated clinic may close, leading to longer emergency transportation times for residents. Over 300 rural hospitals may be at risk of closure due to these anticipated cuts, impacting access to vital healthcare services for low-income populations and increasing concern among locals about emergency care.
"Our budget is pretty heavily reliant on the Medicaid reimbursement, so if we do see a cut of that, it'll be difficult to keep the doors open," said Sherman.
"That's a long way for an emergency," Sherman said. "Some won't make it."
States and rural health advocacy groups warn that cutting Medicaid - a program serving millions of low-income and disabled Americans - would hit already fragile rural hospitals hard and could force hundreds to close, stranding some people in remote areas without nearby emergency care.
More than 300 hospitals could be at risk for closure under the Republican bill, according to an analysis by the Cecil G. Sheps Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which tracks rural hospital closures.
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