Impending Medicaid cuts, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s defunding of Planned Parenthood, and the freezing of Title X funding have fueled clinic closures across rural areas. Ashley Kurzweil, Senior Policy Analyst for Reproductive Health and Rights at the National Partnership for Women and Families and Sarah Coombs, Director for Health System Transformation at the National Partnership for Women and Families sit down to talk with us about the future of rural hospitals and clinics and the patients they care for.  

Many Medicaid cuts will take effect in January of 2027. One of the most immediate impacts of the law is the failure to extend premium tax credits-- which helps those who do not have access to Medicaid or employer-sponsored health coverage-- afford marketplace coverage. Rural residents, who have higher rates of Medicaid coverage and benefits from enhanced ACA premium tax credits, will be disproportionately affected. Increased financial strain will be placed on these rural hospitals, and maternal health programs, labor and delivery units, and reproductive health care clinics will be dire in rural areas. This will disproportionality impact Black communities, indigenous communities, and Latina communities, as well as rural health workers.

For more information, check out Amicus with Dhalia Lithwick: https://slate.com/podcasts/amicus

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