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Witness says Medicaid cuts would close rural clinics, endangering emergency care
Summary
During testimony to the Senate Committee on Appropriations a lawmaker warned that Medicaid reductions could force rural clinics and hospitals to close, leaving residents tens of miles from emergency care and worsening outcomes; examples and state enrollment contrasts were cited.
A lawmaker warned the committee that cuts to Medicaid risked closing rural clinics and hospitals, noting that when a clinic shuts down ‘‘the next clinic or hospital is 70 miles away or 100 miles away’’ in many western and rural places. He argued that reduced revenue from uninsured patients can force facility closures, which disproportionately harm rural residents who cannot travel long distances in emergencies.
The speaker contrasted county-level enrollment rates in Oregon—citing a Southeast county where about 52% of residents rely on Medicaid versus roughly 25% in Washington County west of Portland—to show uneven dependence on the program. He said these disparities mean some areas would suffer far more severe access losses if coverage is cut.
