The crisis is real: Since 2010, over 136 rural hospitals have shut their doors permanently. Now, Project 2025’s planned Medicaid cuts could force another 200+ rural hospitals to close, leaving millions without emergency care within 30 minutes of home.
The GOP Policy-to-Crisis Pipeline
This isn’t an accident—it’s the predictable result of Republican policy choices:
- Medicaid Expansion Rejection: States like Texas, Florida, and Georgia have refused billions in federal Medicaid dollars, directly defunding rural hospitals that serve uninsured patients.
- Infrastructure Neglect: GOP opposition to broadband investment means rural areas lack reliable internet for telehealth services that could reduce emergency room visits.
- Public Health Cuts: Slashing preventive care programs forces people to use expensive emergency services, bankrupting small hospitals.
The math is brutal: Rural hospitals in non-Medicaid expansion states are 84% more likely to close than those in states that accepted federal funding.
Democratic Solutions Already Working
Where Democrats control policy, rural healthcare thrives:
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $65 billion for rural broadband, enabling telehealth services that keep people out of emergency rooms. USDA’s ReConnect program has already connected over 3.4 million rural Americans to high-speed internet.
ACA Marketplace Subsidies have provided crucial revenue streams for struggling rural hospitals. States that expanded Medicaid show significantly better rural hospital financial stability.
Rural Hospital Funding Programs championed by Democrats have provided $75.5 billion in pandemic relief specifically targeted to rural healthcare providers.
What’s at Stake
When your local hospital closes:
- Heart attack survival rates drop by 20% due to longer transport times
- Local businesses lose employees who move for healthcare access
- Property values plummet as communities become less viable
- Maternal mortality increases as expectant mothers travel hours for care
The Choice is Clear
Republicans offer Project 2025’s healthcare cuts and continued infrastructure neglect. Democrats offer proven solutions: Medicaid expansion, broadband investment, and targeted rural hospital support.
Your move: Support candidates who back Medicaid expansion and infrastructure investment. Your family’s access to emergency care—and your community’s survival—depends on it.
Sources: National Rural Health Association, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, USDA Rural Development, Kaiser Family Foundation