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Healthcare Administrators And Hospital Executives From Around The Country, Especially In Rural Health Centers And Red States, Decry Republican Cuts To Medicaid As “Very Devastating,” “Not Sustainable” And “Turning Off The Oxygen For Rural Healthcare”

“As people lose access to coverage, care will be delayed, access to vital services will be restricted and costs will rise. This will disproportionately affect patients in rural areas.”

“The House bill would push more families into medical uncertainty and significantly increase the number of uninsured patients under our care. That would not only impact our ability to provide for those on Medicaid—it would impact all patients.”

“Saving $1 through Medicaid cuts could cost $5 in negative economic impacts for a rural community.”

Rural and red states will be hit incredibly hard by the devastating cuts to Medicaid included in the GOP’s reconciliation bill – and Senators know just how important these health centers are. One Republican Senator makes it clear: “If rural hospitals close, what's the difference between that and a benefit cut?” As Senate Republicans prepare to pass their crippling, deadly Medicaid cuts in their “Big, Ugly Bill,” they should listen to the people who run critical healthcare centers in their states:

ALASKA

  • Providence President & CEO Erik G. Wexler: “As U.S. lawmakers debate critical policy issues, Providence agrees there are important savings to be found in the health care sector. That’s why we’re actively advocating for – and doing our part to build – a sustainable health care system, one that everyone can access and afford. But slashing Medicaid, as some leaders are proposing, is not the answer.  In fact, we believe strongly that doing so would have dire consequences that would put the nation’s health at risk. As people lose access to coverage, care will be delayed, access to vital services will be restricted and costs will rise. This will disproportionately affect patients in rural areas.” [Press Release, 4/9/25]

COLORADO

  • (Rural) Lincoln Community Hospital and Care Center CEO Kevin Stansbury: “Like many rural hospitals we also operate a nursing home in our community, and if Medicaid benefits drop dramatically we’re going to have to really evaluate that service, and it’s a service right now that already struggles financially.” ... “One of the threats that exist in the bill is limits on those provider tax arrangements that help to fund cost of the care.” [NPR, 05/28/25]

FLORIDA

  • Tampa Family Health Center CEO Sherry Hoback: “Hoback also urged Congress to leave Medicaid untouched. Her organization annually serves 130,000 people throughout the area, and she called the program the ‘thread that holds all this together.’ Hoback said Medicaid offers ‘peace of mind’ and alleviates stress associated with not knowing if you can afford a medical diagnosis.” [Health News Florida, 05/14/25]
  • Jennifer Crabtree, chief of staff to Tampa General Hospital CEO John Couris: “Tampa General Hospital has instituted a hiring slowdown for non-clinical positions amid uncertainty around federal health care policies and spending. The slowdown became effective April 28, the health system confirmed to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. … The health system is pulling back on new spending, including capital expenditures, as it awaits clarity around changes to the Affordable Care Act, especially Medicaid, which could face up to $880 billion in cuts over the next decade. As a Level I trauma center and a safety net hospital - meaning it treats patients without regard for their ability to pay - TGH is especially vulnerable to cuts to Medicaid funding.” [Tampa Bay Business Journal, 4/30/25]

IOWA

  • (Rural) Washington County Hospital and Clinics CEO Todd Patterson: “In the heart of rural America, hospitals are lifelines. We are places of healing, economic engines, trauma centers, mental health support systems, and a safety net for our most vulnerable neighbors. And yet, we face a crisis that threatens our very survival: Medicaid cuts. For rural hospitals like Washington County Hospital and Clinics, Medicaid is not a line item — it is a cornerstone. Roughly one in five Americans relies on Medicaid, but in rural areas, that percentage is significantly higher. In Iowa and many other states, Medicaid covers a disproportionate share of children, seniors in long-term care, and working adults struggling to make ends meet. When policymakers in Washington or state capitals slash Medicaid funding or narrow eligibility, they are turning off the oxygen for rural health care.” [The Green Gazette, 5/22/25]

KENTUCKY

  • Dr. Edward Miller, UofL Health: “A physician at UofL Health says proposed federal cuts to Medicaid could hurt Kentucky's hospitals and their patients. According to Dr. Edward Miller, a Louisville obstetrician working with high-risk pregnant women, projected changes from a federal budget bill supported by President Donald Trump will only make an already sick Kentucky sicker. ‘They would likely have less access to regular, routine prenatal care,’ he told WHAS11 on Thursday. ‘They would seek care later. They would have an increased risk of preterm birth, preterm delivery and suboptimal outcomes.’ Miller says many Kentucky women could be left with an ‘impossible decision.’ ‘They have to choose, do they feed their baby or do they take their insulin? It's a choice that they shouldn't have to make,’ he said. ‘If you think that out of pocket cost is going to be too high, you're going to swallow those symptoms. You're going to sit back and say, “Maybe it'll get better tomorrow.” Take a Tylenol, and by the time you actually come in, it might be too late.’ Dr. Edward Miller says proposed changes and cuts to Medicaid on the federal level will only make an already sick Kentucky sicker.” … “‘What we see and what we've seen, and we learned this from COVID, is that rural hospitals are already operating on a razor, thin margin, and that's only going to tip them over,’ Miller said.” [WHAS11, 6/5/25]

MAINE

  • Nasson Health Care CEO Carter Friend: “York County Community Action Corporation operates Nasson Health Care, which is one of Maine's 18 community health centers. CEO Carter Friend said Maine's network of community health centers studied the impacts of a potential Medicaid cuts, focusing on a possible rollback of the Affordable Care Act Marketplace and Medicaid expansion. The analysis shows 1,400 Nasson patients could lose coverage, and the health center would lose $7 million in revenue. Maintaining the current level of service, Friend said, would be difficult. ‘We would not be able to do that with those types of cuts,’ he said. ‘The numbers simply don't work; it's not sustainable.’” [Maine Public, 3/18/25]

MISSOURI

  • (Rural) Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare (GVMH) CEO Craig Thompson: “The vast majority of our payers are governmental whether that be Medicare or Medicaid, right? ...We’re very concerned about discussions around reducing reimbursement and reducing payments to providers.” [Pulmonology, 5/21/25]
  • Bothwell Regional Health Care CEO Lori Wightman: “Part of the problem is that Medicaid already doesn’t adequately pay hospitals for care provided to patients…We are reimbursed 65 to 75 cents on the dollar, so you can’t make that up in volume, not if you’re going to keep going…So we have always been trying to be very conservative with how we spend our resources and there’s really not a lot of give.” [Gastroenterology, 5/19/25]

OHIO

  • Cleveland Clinic Chief Financial Officer Dennis Laraway: “Any reduction to the Medicaid program would threaten access to healthcare services for patients and result in additional financial strain on all health systems across Northeast Ohio.” [The Plain Dealer, 4/5/25]
  • University Hospitals CEO Cliff A. Megerian, MD, FACS: “‘We are operating in uncertain times, but that only strengthens our responsibility to advocate for the policies and programs that allow us to deliver the best care possible,’ Dr. Megerian said. ‘That means speaking up for our patients, our caregivers, and our communities.’” … “Strengthening Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement stability: He urged HHS leaders to continue predictable, sustainable payment policies that allow hospitals—particularly rural and safety-net institutions—to plan effectively and remain financially viable.” … “Protecting value-based and rural innovation models: He called on HHS to protect and expand successful models developed through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, including Accountable Care Organizations and rural hospital transformation efforts that drive better outcomes at lower costs.” [Press Release, 4/17/25]

TEXAS

  • (Rural) Community Hospital Corp. President and CEO Jim Kendrick: “We are trying to convey that saving $1 through Medicaid cuts could cost $5 in negative economic impacts for a rural community.” [Community Hospital Corporation, 05/21/25] 

WEST VIRGINIA

  • West Virginia University Medicine Princeton Community Hospital President and CEO Karen Bowling: “We’re looking to see what the federal government is going to do. There are a lot of conversations about cutting Medicaid. That would be very devastating in our state. About 23% of our entire patient base is on Medicaid. Forty percent of Medicaid across our state is women and children. That’s obviously not something we want to look is cutting services to women and children. Many veterans have this benefit. People who are disabled have this benefit. Many people that are working poor; maybe they have a job, but they are not able to get insurance.” [West Virginia Press Association,  5/13/25]

WYOMING

  • Cheyenne Regional Health System Chief Financial Officer Yvonne Wigington: “One potential area that has health care officials concerned is the looming expiration date of premium tax credits.” … “This is a ‘significant concern’ for Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, said Cheyenne Regional Health System Chief Financial Officer Yvonne Wigington. ‘First and foremost, hospital associates are worried about the impact the loss of these credits will have on patients,’ she said. ‘People will either have to forgo their health insurance or choose a plan that doesn't fully meet their health care needs. More people will be at risk of losing their health coverage and delaying treatment,’ Wigington said. ‘We really don't ever want patients to feel like they have to delay their care,’ she said. On the financial side, CRMC would lose between $9 million and $18 million in annual revenue if the tax credits were to expire. ‘We care for any patient, regardless of their ability to pay for their services,’ Wigington said. ‘If those individuals did not have health care insurance and did not have a way to pay for their health care, that would be $9-18 million that we don't get paid for.’ Hospital officials are currently evaluating ‘many different scenarios for potential cuts’ at CRMC, Wigington said. However, it's difficult to pinpoint what the actual impact would be, with so many cuts being proposed at the federal level. ‘We're not sure exactly which cuts may actually be implemented,’ Wigington said.” [Laramie Boomerang, 5/7/25]

TEXAS/FLORIDA/KANSAS/OKLAHOMA

  • Eduardo Conrado, President, Ascension: “This brings us to the current debate in Washington over the future of Medicaid. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and now under consideration in the Senate, includes significant changes to Medicaid that would cause millions of Americans to lose their health coverage. Additional provisions would cause millions more working Americans to lose their private health insurance through the Health Insurance Exchanges. Increasing the number of uninsured patients and causing reimbursement shortfalls for providers to rise, these changes would deepen the financial strain on providers across the country. If enacted, the House bill would push more families into medical uncertainty and significantly increase the number of uninsured patients under our care. That would not only impact our ability to provide for those on Medicaid—it would impact all patients, even those who have coverage. Rural and underserved communities would be hit hardest. Hospitals would face difficult decisions about reducing services, pausing expansion efforts, or even closing their doors.  The bill would also shift billions in Medicaid funding responsibility to state governments—many of which are already facing serious budget deficits. That would leave states with tough choices: raising taxes, narrowing eligibility, cutting provider payments, or reducing other essential services like education and public safety.” [Ascension, 6/5/25]

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