Rural Hospitals at Center of Megabill Debate Over Medicaid

Rural hospitals have become the poster child for opponents of President Donald Trump’s Megabill, as both Republicans and Democrats fear changes to Medicaid will force the closure of hundreds of the small, financially challenged institutions. For Democrats, this represents a strategic change in their opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Earlier messaging focused on the potential loss of health care by millions of individuals over the next 10 years because of the bill’s provisions. That focus has widened to include health care delivery systems. About 1,800 community hospitals, one-third of the nation’s total, were located in rural areas in 2023, according to the health care research group KFF....