A rural hospital in Southwest Nebraska is one of the first places to feel the effects of Donald Trump and Republicans’ big, beautiful bill, according to Nebraska Public Radio.
Community Hospital in McCook announced Wednesday that it will close Curtis Medical Center in Curtis in the coming months due to uncertainty surrounding federal Medicaid funding.
“Unfortunately, the current financial environment, driven by anticipated federal budget cuts to Medicaid, has made it impossible for us to continue operating all of our services, many of which have faced significant financial challenges for years,” Troy Bruntz, President and CEO of Community Hospital, said in a news release.
The reconciliation bill being debated by Congress calls for more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, which provides funding for hospitals especially in rural areas.
Officials in Nebraska estimated that up to six hospitals in the state could be forced to close within two years if the bill passes.
“We currently have six hospitals that that we feel are in a critical financial state, three that are in an impending kind of closure or conversion over to the rural emergency hospital model,” Jed Hansen, executive director for the Nebraska Rural Health Association, said. “We would likely see the closures within a year to two years of once [the bill is] fully enacted.”
However, all three Nebraska congressmen signal they are ready to support the legislation including Rep. Don Bacon, who claimed he was “worried” about the effects of the legislation.
