Washington, D.C. — A new analysis from the Center for American Progress finds that Congressional Republicans’ plans to cut Medicaid by as much as $880 billion could force the immediate closure of 190 rural hospitals in 34 Medicaid expansion states. However, the analysis finds that, in some expansion states, the percentage of rural hospitals facing the risk of immediate closure could be far higher—including nearly 1 in 3 rural hospitals in New York and Oklahoma and roughly 1 in 4 rural hospitals in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The analysis is based on an April 2025 report from Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform.
Rural hospitals rely on Medicaid funding to keep their doors open even as they deliver most of the health care services for people living in the communities they serve, including long-term care and primary care.
“Rural hospitals play a vital role in providing essential health care services and fueling economic activity in their communities. By threatening the financial stability of nearly 200 rural hospitals that are already on the brink of closure, Congressional Republicans’ plans to cut Medicaid funding would harm rural economies, put lives at risk, and make people sicker by putting access to care further out of reach,” said Andrea Ducas, vice president of Health Policy at CAP.
Please click here to read “Medicaid Cuts Would Threaten Rural Hospitals” by Kierra B. Jones, Natasha Murphy, and Andrea Ducas.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected].