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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Report: Medicaid cuts would disproportionately affect rural Coloradans

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Thursday, January 23, 2025   

As the new Congress considers cutting Medicaid by more than $2 trillion, a new report details how the move would disproportionately affect rural communities by shifting health costs to low- and moderate-income families and health providers.

Toni Sarge, child and family health director for the Colorado Children's Campaign, said there is no way to cut Medicaid without hurting kids.

"Proposals to cut, cap or to alter Medicaid spending or programs in any way is going to leave thousands of kids in our lowest-income families in rural areas and across the state without comprehensive health coverage," Sarge emphasized.

Nearly one in five adults and 37% of children living in rural Colorado rely on Medicaid for their health insurance, numbers significantly higher than in urban areas. The Trump administration has promised to make substantial cuts to the federal budget, and some House Republicans have argued programs, including Medicaid, need to be reformed to avoid a fiscal collapse.

Some skeptics see the cuts as a way to pay for extending Trump's 2017 tax cuts, which disproportionately benefit corporations and the wealthy.

Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, the group behind the report, said Medicaid helps people stay ahead of health challenges through preventive care. When families do not have coverage, they are more likely to delay care until it becomes a crisis.

"People wind up sicker and then they're in the emergency room and children can't get their asthma inhalers and they miss school," Alker outlined.

The Children's Health Insurance Program is a major component of Medicaid, under which routine medical and dental checkups are free and families only pay up to 5% of their income for health expenses. Sarge pointed out when kids have access to health care, they do better in school and are more likely to get good-paying jobs as adults.

"We also see lower high school dropout rates," Sarge added. "It not only impacts the health of a child in that moment, it affects their long-term health and their long-term financial stability."

Disclosure: The Georgetown University Center for Children and Families contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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