Originally published at: These Are the Communities Most Likely to be Hurt By Hospital Closures and Medicaid Cuts - TPM – Talking Points Memo
As Congress negotiated the details of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a parade of independent analyses warned about the impact it would have on millions of Americans’ health care. Noting those findings, a handful of Republican lawmakers expressed alarm that the Medicaid and Medicare cuts contained within the bill would directly harm their constituents, decimating…
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So, the Senators and Representatives of places that are least affected seem more concerned than those with constituents that are most affected…
That is some upside down politics there. Now constituents should ask, why would that be?
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“The Democratic National Committee is launching a [messaging campaign] “to show how Trump’s policies are hurting the people who voted for him the most,” putting up billboards outside rural hospitals that have had to close or cut back services.”
It’s a good start but they need to do more. Show up in town hall meetings that the Republicans won’t go to, even if it is not their district.
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They should show up along with the potential Democratic candidates for office for that district and state. Let elected Senators and Representative introduce the alternatives for offices held by Republicans. Local politicians running for office can inform our elected Democrats in office and vice versa, while also informing constituents.
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On the bright side… those communities are the least likely to have any Billionaires, and the whole point of Trump’s BBB was to help billionaires, so this was expected by anyone who reads and thinks. Moral: Republicans do not READ or THINK.
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Everyone should scan this 34 page report from UNC that’s linked in the excellent article. Hospitals at risk are listed by state and by congressional district. I live in NY21 (Elise Stefanik) and we’ve got three listed at risk. I don’t think it’s just Medicaid that’s the choke point for rural hospitals, but Medicare Advantage too. I was billed $22,000 for a procedure at my at risk local hospital, my Medicare Advantage paid less than $1000 - the hospital had to absorb the rest. I’m assuming they outrageously padded my bill in desperation, but something has to give.
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Identity politics is freeing, no more rational basis for policies. Democracy cannot work, however, without a rational, even if loser, basis for policy (e.g. higher speed limits because getting places faster boosts the economy more than the cost of lives lost). When it gets down to identity, all you have to say is white, Jesus, MAGA, anti-woke, etc. I have a high-school acquaintance who currently attends an evangelical church with a cardboard full-sized Trump off to the side from the altar. This sense of moral superiority just has no place in good governance, only in justifying atrocious behavior including civil war. The case of Ryan Walters is particularly telling. Back in the day of electoral democracy, such that it was, a scandalized politician would at least resign in shame. Today bad behavior such as attacking capitol police or watching porn at your job are badges of honor. Or then resigning in just fucking hard in OK.
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The ‘bill’ (it’s really more like a suggestion than a bill, at least until it hits a collection agency) is always outrageously padded. Medicare Advantage paid what they were contractually obliged to pay. A friend of mine was uninsured when he had to have his gall bladder removed. The total bill was over $100K (and this was 15 years ago). When he went to the hospital and made it clear that (1) he was uninsured, (2) he would be paying the bill in cash, and (3) if he was insured, Aetna or BC/BS would not be paying anything like the bill they sent him. So, he said, “Can we make a deal?”
The hospital said, “You betcha!” They went away and came back with something on the order of $35K. He told them, "Okay–I know what we’re working with. I need a few days to move the money.
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This is a low level minion and garden variety transgression involving women. We have the apex predator, a pedo, in the highest office.
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I’m in a dour mood today, so my immediate reaction is that this is probably a waste of money and won’t shift many midterm election votes in these rural and mostly deep Red areas.
Voters there will see it as just “the government” failing them as usual. So next election, they’ll vote once again for candidates in the anti-government party, the Republicans. Where we need to pick up votes are in swing districts that didn’t vote +10 points or more for Trump.
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It’s probably bad politics for the representatives of blue, urban districts to loudly explain how their blue district tax dollars fund red, rural districts. Nonetheless it’s annoying to hear a representative from a red district campaign on demonizing my friends and neighbors when our taxes fund his district’s hospitals and roads.
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FAFO. Sucks to be a stupid, apathetic, uninformed voter.
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The list is led by Kentucky, which has 35 vulnerable rural hospitals, and Louisiana, which has 33. Heavily Democratic California ranks third, with 28.
California probably has three times more hospitals than KY and LA put together.
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Just one part of their plan to keep the underlings poor, sick, and uneducated.
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I’m old enough to remember ‘Democrat death panels’. Sometimes the projection takes time to play out.
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“In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery?” – Saint Augustine
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Trump is currently in the UK having a press conference. He notes that people in Gaza look hungry from what he has “seen on tv.” No, starvation of a population or an individual by government design is a violation of the 8th amendment in the US and under international law is recognized as a war crime and crime against humanity. Even a single starvation death in Gaza is wrong, and should have Rubio and Trump howling, but now we’re up to about a dozen people a day including babies and toddlers. You can’t be a baby and a terrorist simultaneously.
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“The Law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.”–Anatole France
“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”–Frank Wilhoit (Composer Wilhoit, not Political Scientist Wilhoit)
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Ratios matter, don’t they?
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Unless you’re Trump . . .
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