Medicaid cuts concerning
Blue Ridge Medical Center officials will not say whether or not the local hospital is in danger of closing, but do point to the health care dangers associated with President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
As the bill made its way through Congress, several studies were released listing over 300 rural hospitals in danger of closing because of Medicaid cuts contained in the bill. All the studies included Fannin Regional Hospital, now Blue Ridge Medical Center (BRMC).
The most recent – and not connected to a member of Congress – The University of North Carolina’s The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, names the local hospital among those expected to face “financial distress and risk of closure.”
With local concern rising over the studies, The News Observer sent several questions to the local hospital, asking if closing is a concern or possibility? Questions also asked for any actions being considered to offset the “One Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts.
Susan Kiker, director of Physician Outreach/Auxiliary/Marketing, responded, “The person who would respond to the questions is on vacation this week, out of the country without any cell service. It would be next week before the questions would be addressed.”
However, Bappa Mukherji, chief executive officer of Java Medical Group which owns BRMC, said, “When Medicaid disappears so do rural hospitals.”
Mukherji wrote, “Roughly two-thirds of working-age adults on Medicaid are employed in a variety of low-wage sectors that rarely provide affordable health insurance, according to a 2023 analysis by KFF. The other one-third of Medicaid recipients are caregivers, students or have health conditions that limit their ability to work. Medicaid is not keeping people out of the workforce. It’s often what makes work possible by providing coverage for crucial medical, mental health and addiction services.
“Medicaid is woven into a vast and highly regulated financial web that supports America’s hospitals and providers. For many facilities, particularly rural and safety-net hospitals, Medicaid is essential.
“According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, over 130 rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2021, with many citing the loss of Medicaid expansion dollars as a contributing factor. More than 600 rural hospitals remain at risk of closure today. For these communities, Medicaid is not a partisan talking point. It’s a lifeline,” Mukherji wrote.
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