Rural hospitals were already struggling financially before President Donald Trump took office in January. But the GOP tax and spending bill signed into law July 4 has made their problems far worse and will likely speed up closures nationwide.
When Hurricane Helene forced a rural Tennessee hospital into a dramatic rooftop evacuation last September, its top executive vowed to rebuild the damaged facility as he watched the rescue unfold from a washed-out bridge. That promise is now in peril because of the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The U.S. District Court of Maryland on Friday issued a preliminary injunction halting the Trump administration from making changes to the ACA's health insurance marketplace days before the changes were set to take effect. U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson in Baltimore sided with plaintiffs' arguments that more than 2.2 million people could lose healthcare coverage due to the changes planned under the 'Marketplace Integrity and Affordability' rule, which was scheduled for implementation today.
The Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to cut off health research grants it contends advance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or promote 'gender ideology extremism.' By a 5-4 vote, the justices lifted an order a federal court judge in Boston issued forcing the NIH to restore funding for more than 1,700 grants focused on heart disease, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, alcohol and substance abuse and mental health issues.
The millions of Americans who are used to getting their COVID-19 vaccines at a local pharmacy may face new hurdles this fall depending on where they live and whether federal health officials have decided they qualify.
A new national report warns that sweeping Medicaid cuts recently signed into federal law could push hundreds of hospitals across the country to the brink of closure — and Maine's rural hospitals are among the most vulnerable.