Aaron Flint: The One Big Beautiful Bill Cut Crucial Health And Nutrition Resources For Rural Americans, Including Threatening The Closure Of Three Rural Hospitals In MT-01

The Reconciliation Bill’s Cuts To Medicaid Would Particularly Impact Rural Communities

HEADLINE: “Rural Communities Brace For Medicaid Cuts In Republicans’ Big Bill.” [NBC, 6/25/25]

The Big Beautiful Bill Act Would Result In 1.8 Million Individuals In Rural Communities Losing Their Medicaid Coverage. “Medicaid, which covers over 16 million people in rural communities, helps address barriers to health care and sustain rural hospitals. But many in Congress are considering Medicaid cuts that would have a devastating impact on rural hospitals and patients. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) would result in 1.8 million individuals in rural communities losing their Medicaid coverage by 2034. In addition, select Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 would result in a $50.4 billion reduction in federal Medicaid spending on rural hospitals over 10 years.” [American Hospital Association, 6/16/25]

The One Big Beautiful Bill Threatened The Closure Of Vital Rural Hospitals, Including Three Hospitals In MT-01

The One Big Beautiful Bill’s Cuts To Medicaid Would Result In A $50.4 Billion Reduction In Funding For Rural Hospitals

Rural Hospitals Would Collectively Lose More Than $1.8 Billion In Funding, Which Would Be Equivalent To 21,000 Full-Time Hospital Employees’ Salaries. “Hospitals in rural areas would collectively lose more than $1.8 billion with a 15% cut to Medicaid. That loss in revenue is roughly equivalent to 21,000 full-time hospital employees’ salaries. Rural hospitals’ margins have been deteriorating for 10 to 15 years, said Michael Topchik, executive director for the Chartis Center for Rural Health, which analyzes and consults on rural hospital finances. Ten years ago, about one-third of rural hospitals were operating in the red. That’s closer to 50% now, he said.” [KFF, 6/12/25]

• HEADLINE: “‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Would Batter Rural Hospital Finances, Researchers Say.” [KFF, 6/12/25]

The One Big Beautiful Bill Would Result In $50.4 Billion Reduction In Spending For Rural Hospitals Over The Next Ten Years. “Medicaid, which covers over 16 million people in rural communities, helps address barriers to health care and sustain rural hospitals. But many in Congress are considering Medicaid cuts that would have a devastating impact on rural hospitals and patients. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) would result in 1.8 million individuals in rural communities losing their Medicaid coverage by 2034. In addition, select Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 would result in a $50.4 billion reduction in federal Medicaid spending on rural hospitals over 10 years.” [American Hospital Association, 6/16/25]

The One Big Beautiful Bill Threatened More Than 300 Rural Hospital Closures

The Cuts To Medicaid And Other Federal Health Programs In President Trump’s Budget Plan Would “Rapidly Push” More Than 300 Financially Struggling Rural Hospitals Toward A Fiscal Cliff. “Cuts to Medicaid and other federal health programs proposed in President Donald Trump’s budget plan would rapidly push more than 300 financially struggling rural hospitals toward a fiscal cliff, according to researchers who track the facilities’ finances. The hospitals would be at a disproportionate risk of closure, service reductions, or ending inpatient care, according to a report authored by experts from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research following a request from Senate Democrats, who released the findings publicly Thursday. Many of those hospitals are in Kentucky, Louisiana, California, and Oklahoma, according to the analysis.” [KFF, 6/12/25]

2025: MT-01 Had Three Rural Hospitals Listed As At-Risk Based On Financial Vulnerability. “In order to understand in greater detail how rural communities could be impacted by health care cuts contained in the reconciliation package, we requested the attached data from the Sheps Center on the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals and potential impacts on their viability. These hospitals have been identified as at-risk hospitals based on financial data, including: whether the hospital has been unprofitable for the last three years; whether the hospital is at risk of financial distress relative to peer hospitals; and whether the hospital serves a disproportionately high share of Medicaid patients. The findings demonstrate that hundreds of rural hospitals across the country would feel pain from the House-passed reconciliation bill.” [Office of Senator Edward J. Markey, Letter on Rural Hospitals, 6/12/25]

[Office of Senator Edward J. Markey, At-Risk Rural Hospitals List, 6/12/25]

Rural Hospital Closures Would Lead To Increased Unemployment. “Rural hospital closures often raise concerns about access to care and the local economy. When a rural hospital closes, patients may have to travel further to obtain services, which could lead some to forgo care altogether. Closures may be especially problematic for people who have difficulty traveling long distances and for people with time-sensitive conditions, such as heart attacks and childbirth. Research suggests that rural hospital closures lead to increased unemployment (including among non-healthcare industries), lower income levels, and slower economic growth.” [KFF, 4/16/25]

The Reconciliation Bill’s Cuts To SNAP Would Disproportionately Impact Rural Communities

Center For American Progress: “The Senate Has Released Its Version Of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Which Would Enact The Largest Cut To The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) In The Program’s History According To Center For American Progress Estimates.” “The Senate has released its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would enact the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the program’s history according to Center for American Progress estimates. Despite the proposal cutting less than the House-passed version’s nearly $300 billion in cuts, it is even more extreme than the House version in some key aspects. Moreover, this legislation comes at a time when food insecurity is rising across all 50 states, reaching levels not seen since 2014.” [Center for American Progress, 6/26/25]

NC Newsline Headline: “GOP Cuts To Food Assistance Would Hit Rural America Especially Hard.” [NC Newsline, 6/5/25]