DES MOINES, Iowa — As the United States Senate passed the massive reconciliation bill on Tuesday, local officials’ concerns heightened as Medicaid cuts are just a vote away from being implemented into law.
The bill has work requirements and reduction in federal Medicaid spending, but a main concern is the added limitations of provider tax. Iowa utilizes the provider tax in the state program to leverage federal Medicaid dollars, meaning rural hospitals get more funding.
“When you talk about the impact of these potential cuts, once they’re fully implemented and we’re able to project, you know, ten years from the beginning of when these proposed cuts would start, we are talking about a loss of $3.5 billion to hospitals alone and talking about over $1 trillion total across the country,” said Chris Mitchell, president and CEO of the Iowa Hospital Association…