The fallout from Donald Trump and Republicans’ budget bill is happening now, devastating American health care as we know it. The bill strips health care from more than 15 million people, hikes costs on middle- and low-income families, slashes over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and sends shockwaves through the entire health care system– all so billionaires and big companies get another tax break.
One of the most devastating results of the GOP-created health care crisis is its impact on rural hospitals: hundreds of hospitals on the brink of closure, countless others preparing deep service cuts, and millions of health care workers facing the loss of their jobs. Last week, Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) joined Protect Our Care for a press call relaunching POC’s Hospital Crisis Watch and releasing a new report shining a light on the harm Donald Trump and Republicans’ spending bill is inflicting on our hospitals. People across the country, including seniors, people with disabilities, expectant mothers, and cancer patients, will face higher health care costs, have to travel further to get care, and endure longer wait times in overwhelmed emergency rooms. As hospitals and nursing homes close, people will lose jobs, local and state economies will suffer, and entire communities will be left without access to care, all so Trump and Republicans could give more tax breaks to the rich. Everyone will feel the pain of the Trump-GOP health care emergency.
With lawmakers home for August recess, Republicans continue to lie about the health care cuts as they explain their vote for this bill to their constituents. Protect Our Care’s Trump-GOP Health Care Emergency campaign is dedicated to holding Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress accountable this August. The campaign features the following theme weeks:
- August 3 – 9: The Trump-GOP Health Care Emergency: War on Your Health Care
- August 10 – 16: The Trump-GOP Health Care Emergency: Higher Costs for Families
- August 17 – 23: The Trump-GOP Health Care Emergency: Ripping Coverage Away from Millions
- August 24 – 30: The Trump-GOP Health Care Emergency: Hospitals in Crisis
BY THE NUMBERS
- The GOP cut Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion, even though Medicaid accounts for one-fifth of spending on hospitals, one-fifth of hospital discharges, and at least one in five inpatient days in nearly every state.
- Trump and Republicans’ big, ugly bill cut over $400 billion in critical hospital funding – forcing more Americans to travel further for maternity care and emergency rooms, and face longer wait times.
- 36 hospitals and care facilities have already closed some or all of their facilities or announced upcoming cuts/closures in the wake of Trump and Republicans’ big, ugly bill.
- Over 330 hospitals are at immediate risk of closing or scaling back their services.
- Over 750 hospitals total are at risk of closing in the years to come.
- An estimated 477,000 health workers will lose their jobs as a result of GOP cuts to Medicaid because hospitals are the sixth largest employer in the country, employing nearly 7 million Americans.
Trump and the GOP Are Raising the Cost of Health Care For Everyone. Ripping away health care and shuttering hospitals means the cost of uncompensated care in the health system will skyrocket, raising costs for everyone. Studies consistently show that even minimal cost increases lead to people forgoing doctor visits, delaying treatments, and stopping their medications — causing them to wait until their condition worsens before seeking help or, even worse, dying. Everyone will pay the price because Republicans put tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations above the needs of real people. Emergency rooms will become packed with patients who are unable to pay their bills due to loss of health coverage, forcing higher bills for everyone. Health care costs will spike for everyone as rural hospitals close, driving up costs at nearby facilities.
Trump and Republicans’ Agenda Threatens Hundreds of Hospitals and Care Facilities Across the Country. The GOP cut Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion, even though Medicaid accounts for one fifth of spending on hospitals. Cash-strapped medical centers, clinics, hospital wards, and long-term care facilities are losing critical sources of support and revenue because of these massive Republican cuts. Consequently, 36 hospitals and care facilities have already closed some or all of their facilities or announced upcoming cuts/closures in the wake of Trump and Republicans’ big, ugly bill. Over 330 hospitals are at immediate risk of closing or scaling back their services, and over 750 hospitals total are now at risk of closing in the years to come. As hospitals and nursing homes cut services or shut down, people will lose jobs, local and state economies will suffer, and entire communities will be left without access to care.
Track The Harm Trump And The GOP’s Big, Ugly Bill Is Doing To Hospitals And Care Facilities Across The Country. Protect Our Care’s Hospital Crisis Watch is tracking the harm Donald Trump and Republicans’ spending bill is inflicting on American health care in real time – community by community, hospital by hospital.
