BRATTLEBORO, VT – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, toured the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, where he discussed his new bipartisan bill to support rural health care providers, the Rural Hospital Support Act, and the impact of President Trump’s and Congressional Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts on Vermonters.
“Rural hospitals are in trouble—that’s true in Vermont and it’s true in Iowa. They need a lifeline like the bipartisan Rural Hospital Support Act, which will help keep the doors open for patients who rely on our rural health care providers every day,” said Senator Welch ahead of the tour.
Welch continued: “Medicaid is essential for patients and our rural hospitals in Vermont, and that’s true across America. Vermonters I speak with have a genuine fear for how this budget will hurt their access to care—I share that, and I’m pushing back on this appalling agenda. There should be bipartisan support to protect this essential service—not slash it.”
See photos from the event below:
Senator Welch has slammed President Trump and Congressional Republicans for their budget, which would slash Medicaid and increase health care costs for millions of seniors, children, veterans, people with disabilities, and people with chronic diseases like cancer—all to give tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy.
More than 157,000 Vermonters rely on Medicaid for their health coverage and access to care. Medicaid provides around 41% of children in Vermont with health care, and nearly 2,000 births per year are covered by Medicaid. More than 38,000 people with a disability in Vermont are covered by Medicaid. More than 60% of nursing home residents in Vermont rely on Medicaid to pay for the care in the nursing home. Every hospital in Vermont serves Medicaid beneficiaries. The Republican budget threatens to slash Medicaid funding by a third, which means 32,000 rural residents in Vermont could lose their coverage.
Nationally, nearly 80 million Americans rely on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Medicaid covers nearly a quarter of Americans in rural areas. Medicaid pays for nearly half of all births in the U.S., covers nearly half of all of America’s children, provides care to 2 in 3 nursing home residents, and provides peace of mind to 17 million women of reproductive age. More than 15.5 million Americans with a disability are covered by Medicaid. This program is a lifeline for rural communities and our rural hospitals, and any cuts to this funding could result in hospitals closures in rural communities like VT and across the country. The Washington Post recently highlighted the impact of Medicaid cuts to rural hospitals and maternity care. The reporting highlighted widespread concerns from rural health leaders about the detrimental impact of the Republicans’ budget.
Senator Welch and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) recently introduced the bipartisan Rural Hospital Support Act, legislation to prevent rural hospital closures by extending and modernizing critical Medicare programs. The bill would permanently extend the Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) program to ensure eligible rural hospitals are reimbursed for their costs. The bill would also permanently extend the Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) program to level the playing field for rural hospitals whose operating costs often outpace their revenue. Rural hospitals provide critical care for patients, many of whom rely on Medicare and Medicaid. These hospitals also serve as economic anchors – accounting for around 14% of total employment in rural areas.
Learn more about the Rural Hospital Support Act.
###