Washington D.C — The Republican Tax Law is already wreaking havoc on working families’ health care. Families are set to see 75% health insurance cost increases thanks to congressional Republicans’ refusal to include an ACA tax credit extension alongside their billionaire tax breaks. And millions of Americans will lose coverage thanks to the largest Medicaid cuts in American history.
Now, outlets across the country are reporting that rural and children’s hospitals are set to suffer as a result of congressional Republicans’ health care cuts that funded their tax giveaway to the wealthy.
The Children’s Hospital Association says children’s hospitals collectively stand to lose billions in revenue thanks to the Republican Tax Law.
- The CEO of Phoenix Arizona’s Children’s hospital system told KFF the law’s Medicaid cuts “cannot be achieved without directly affecting coverage and care for Arizona’s kids.”
- Norfolk, Virginia’s Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters told KFF the cuts “will have serious and far-reaching consequences to our services, programs, and patients,” threatening funding that “helps us pay for the highly specialized pediatric medical, surgical, and psychiatric physicians that are needed to care for every child who needs our services.”
Rural clinics and health centers are already announcing closures, and the National Rural Health Association says rural hospitals will lose a significant amount of funding because of the law or could even close.
- Three rural health centers in Virginia announced this week that they’re closing as a result of the Republican Tax Law.
- The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers called the cuts “devastating.” One center director is “girding for the worst” and is “worried about dark clouds.”
- More than 330 hospitals could be forced to close as a result of the law.
“Rural and children’s hospitals are pleading for help as the Republican Tax Law threatens care for their most vulnerable patients,” said Unrig Our Economy Campaign Director Leor Tal. “Congressional Republicans can no longer run away from the fact that they voted to gut health care for children and rural Americans. Now they need to be asked if they’re willing to undo these harmful cuts, or are they going to double down on even more tax breaks for billionaires.”
To learn more about the campaign, visit UnrigOurEconomy.com or contact press@unrigoureconomy.com
###
About Unrig Our Economy Unrig Our Economy is a national campaign to fix the rules of our economy to make it work for working people. We know that when the middle class does well, all of us do well — which is why we’re fighting on behalf of working Americans and holding corporations, their wealthy executives, and the politicians who enable them accountable.