By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
The 47th president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is set to slash Medicaid, a move experts warn will strip millions of Americans of their health insurance coverage and force rural hospitals—many of which depend on Medicaid reimbursements—to close their doors. According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), rural hospitals stand to lose $50.4 billion in federal Medicaid funding over the next decade.
In states like Georgia, where dozens of counties already have no hospital at all, the cuts could weaken rural communities’ first line of defense in routine health emergencies but also during natural disasters.
“These hospitals are not just places to get care in a disaster. They are lifelines,” said Georgia State Rep. Bryce Berry (D-Ga.-56) during an Oct. 9 press call. “When roads are flooded, when power is out and when time is the difference between life and death, rural hospitals are where Georgians turn.”
When Hurricane Helene devastated Georgia communities last September, rural hospitals were essential hubs for care and relief. Berry noted that Evans Memorial Hospital, located in Claxton, Ga., opened a dedicated intensive care unit (ICU) to treat hurricane cases. In Hazlehurst, Ga., Berry said Jeff Davis Hospital continued operating for days without water, treating storm-related injuries while patient transport was impossible.
The AHA projects $540 million in lost revenue for Georgia’s rural hospitals over the next 10 years due to Medicaid cuts. Meanwhile, the 47th president has sought to weaken the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by eliminating $4.5 billion in emergency preparedness funds and reducing staff, leaving communities less equipped to handle disasters.
“This is not a coincidence,” said Berry. “It’s a dangerous one-two punch to our state, gutting disaster preparedness and forcing rural hospitals to close.”
Georgia isn’t alone in facing this heightened vulnerability. Kentucky faces a similar situation. The AHA estimates that the state’s rural hospitals will lose $4.01 billion in Medicaid funding over the next 10 years. An analysis from the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy also reported that the state stands to lose more rural hospitals than any other.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has been vocal about the dangers Medicaid cuts pose to his state, warning that they could shatter local care and local economies.
“It is going to damage rural health care in a way that we might not be able to recover from. Just in Kentucky, it’s predicted to close or threaten to close up to 35 rural hospitals,” said Beshear in a post on X. “Each of those has hundreds of jobs. Each of those is the largest or second largest employer in their community.”
Former Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said the Medicaid cuts were a political choice—not an inevitability. From her perspective, the consequences of the president’s spending bill could push families, health care systems and state budgets to their breaking points.
Brooks-LaSure emphasized that the 2026 midterm elections are a vital opportunity to reverse the harms that have been created by the legislation.
“I hope that congressional Republicans realize that this crisis that they chose to make is the wrong choice and that millions of Americans will be left to face the consequences of their decisions,” said Brooks-LaSure during an Oct. 9 press call. “People across this country deserve a health care system that is both affordable and accessible.”
