{"id":281326,"date":"2025-11-09T13:37:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T13:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/281326\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T13:37:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T13:37:17","slug":"rural-arizona-hospitals-worry-about-medicaid-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/281326\/","title":{"rendered":"Rural Arizona hospitals worry about Medicaid cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"

SPRINGERVILLE \u2014 Arizona has applied for federal funding under President Donald Trump\u2019s big tax law for rural hospitals, but Governor Katie Hobbs says the $1 billion won\u2019t be enough to mitigate the law\u2019s cuts to Medicaid.<\/p>\n

Hobbs visited Springerville on Friday morning to talk with hospital administrators at White Mountain Regional Medical Center and Summit Healthcare, a hospital in Show Low. She took a tour of WMRMC, a 21-bed critical access hospital, and held a roundtable discussion on the challenges rural hospitals face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worry about how we’re going to make sure people have access to health care across the state,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law in July, adds new work requirements to Medicaid in 2026, requires states to check people\u2019s eligibility every six months instead of annually, increases paperwork requirements and hikes copays for recipients who make more than the federal poverty level.<\/p>\n

Republicans say the measures are needed to reduce Medicaid fraud and abuse.<\/p>\n

The law also appropriates $50 billion in federal funding for rural health care. Arizona submitted its application for $1 billion from the Rural Health Transformation Program on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s helping us address existing gaps in health care in rural communities, but those gaps are going to be exacerbated when these Medicaid cuts hit, and this funding is not going to make up for those gaps,\u201d Hobbs said.<\/p>\n

Hospital administrators say the cuts to Medicaid and the premium hikes for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans could add up to more rural patients without insurance.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, when you don’t have insurance, you wait until the very last moment,\u201d said Wesley Babers, WMRMC chief executive officer.<\/p>\n

Rural emergency rooms could see sicker patients who skipped preventative care or treatment for chronic conditions because they don\u2019t have insurance. Without reimbursement from Medicaid or insurance, hospitals will need to absorb those \u201cuncompensated care\u201d costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re going to take care of patients,\u201d said David Rothenberger, Summit Healthcare\u2019s chief financial officer. \u201cThat’s our primary responsibility. But it’s going to cost, and it’s going to be difficult to operate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hobbs said the changes to Medicaid could worsen existing challenges for rural hospitals, which already grapple with a shortage of health care workers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think all of these providers are at risk,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The governor and state lawmakers have both said the state doesn\u2019t have a lot of extra money in its budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe state’s going to do what we can to mitigate, but we can’t fill all these gaps,\u201d Hobbs said.<\/p>\n

Her administration expects to hear back on its funding request by the end of the year. The state hopes to award grants and start distributing money in early 2026.<\/p>\n

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