By Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio
Iowa Democrats are raising concerns about proposed federal Medicaid cuts they say could decimate rural health care.
A bill passed by the U.S. House and now pending in the Senate would cut more than $700 billion from Medicaid. That’s the government-funded health care program for low-income Americans and people with disabilities.
Democrat Dave Muhlbauer is a Crawford County supervisor and serves on the board of his local hospital. He says rural hospitals already face challenges with Medicaid denials and reimbursement rates, and he says spending cuts could put them in a dire financial situation.
“We could be looking at cutting services. We could be looking at a lot of different things to stay afloat. But that just really pushes people to have to travel farther.”
Iowa’s four members of the U.S. House — all Republicans — voted for the bill that includes Medicaid funding cuts, which are largely related to work requirements. They have said the bill will help cut waste and fraud, and preserve Medicaid for those who truly need it.
Stay in the know with stories that matter — visit HolaAmericaNews.com for the latest news, culture, and community updates!
