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Congresswoman warns Medicaid cuts are destabilizing local hospitals and says reversing funding is a top priority
Summary
At the Westford town hall the congresswoman said Medicaid cuts are increasing premiums, risking service closures (naming labor and delivery), and pledged to prioritize restoring funding to NIH, CDC and local safety‑net hospitals when Democrats regain House leadership.
Residents at the town hall raised concerns about hospitals and cancer care; the congresswoman said cuts to Medicaid and removal of ACA subsidies have destabilized safety‑net hospitals and put services such as labor and delivery at risk.
"Hospitals don't get paid for it. So you pay for it," she said, explaining how lost Medicaid coverage and higher uncompensated care drive up premiums and force hospitals to cut unprofitable services. She identified labor and delivery as among the most vulnerable services.
Lori said she led bipartisan letters to stop proposed cuts to mental‑health grant programs and cited successes in overturning some reductions. She also warned of risks to NIH funding and life‑science clusters and said restoring appropriations for NIH, CDC and FDA will be a top priority when her party regains control of House gavels.
Why it matters: Medicaid and federal research funding both affect local health services and the life‑science economy in Massachusetts. The congresswoman tied federal funding changes to local service availability and to longer‑term research capacity.
No formal policy changes were enacted at the town hall; the congresswoman described advocacy actions, discharged petitions and oversight as levers she will use in Congress.
