In rural Tennessee, health leaders said residents are being squeezed by rising care costs and limited access to services.
Affordability is seen as a major barrier, leaving more families unable to get the care they need. Nationally, roughly 8.4% of rural Americans are uninsured.
Dr. Amy Gordon Bono, a primary care physician, said the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reduces Medicaid support, negatively affecting Tennesseans and hospitals. She pointed out rural systems often deliver uncompensated care to uninsured patients and the Medicaid reimbursement rates are not big enough to cover the cost…