skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Judge pauses deadline for federal workers to accept Trump's resignation offer; CA state lawmakers take action to enact safeguards against federal immigration enforcement; Study shows air quality disparities from industrial ag in NC.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

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.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

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.

Rural VA communities most affected by possible Medicaid cuts

play audio
Play

Thursday, January 23, 2025   

Medicaid cuts proposed by congressional lawmakers may end up affecting the most rural communities in Virginia and the country.

A new report by Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families found rural areas and small towns would be hurt the most by Medicaid cuts.

Joan Alker, executive director of the center, said some proposals being floated by congressional Republicans call for reducing Medicaid funding by nearly $2.5 trillion. She described it as "horrifying," while suggesting the public might be caught off guard because the program was not discussed on the campaign trail last fall.

"There was complete silence about it, despite the fact that it is the largest source of public coverage by far in the United States," Alker observed. "It's also a very popular program with the voters of all political stripes."

Nearly 38% of Virginia children in rural areas or small towns are enrolled in Medicaid, in addition to 30% of children in metropolitan areas of the Commonwealth.

Emily Moore, senior policy analyst at Voices for Virginia's Children, said rural hospitals often rely on revenue from Medicaid to continue operating. She noted any potential cuts could affect access to health care in rural areas.

"The sheer fact that we are potentially looking at cuts from the federal level would really devastate some of our rural communities," Moore emphasized. "And certainly result in potential loss of coverage and loss of services in our rural communities."

More than 21% of all Virginians in rural areas are enrolled in Medicaid, compared with the roughly 17% of Virginians in metropolitan areas.

Some proposed changes to Medicaid include caps on the amount of money spent on each individual's health care and block grants to give states a certain amount of money for care. Moore argued the potential cuts would have ripple effects across the state.

"Without the vital funding that Medicaid brings down from the federal government, we are going to see increased health care costs for all of Virginia's taxpayers," Moore asserted. "It will be an enormous and, frankly, unsustainable pressure on our state budget."

According to the report, people in rural areas have worse health outcomes, including higher rates of infant mortality, deaths from heart disease, overdoses and mental illness.

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.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, Mississippi has the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation. (Katerina Holmes/Pexels)

Social Issues

play sound

Mississippi families struggling with food insecurity are bracing for another difficult summer after state officials declined millions in federal fundi…


Environment

play sound

Some experts predict arable land per person will shrink by two-thirds by 2050. To combat it, Michigan students are being trained in "smart" …

Environment

play sound

A new study by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality found nitrate levels have continued to rise across the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater …


Currently, insurance companies get to decide how much of a public ambulance service's rate to pay, which can lead to patients being charged the unpaid balance. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado lawmakers are working to ensure all Coloradans with health coverage for ambulance services are not hit with surprise bills or charged higher …

Environment

play sound

Conservation groups in Maine are calling on the state's congressional delegation to protect federal funding for clean energy technologies. A new …

Osprey, bluefish, red drum and cobia rely on menhaden populations for food. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

Atlantic menhaden weigh less than a pound and measure little more than a foot long but the small fish has big consequences for the Chesapeake Bay ecos…

Social Issues

play sound

Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her 2025 State of the State address this week, focusing on education, public safety, and economic growth in Alabama. She …

Social Issues

play sound

In rural states such as South and North Dakota and large urban centers around the U.S., protests were held Wednesday amid fears about the first wave …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021