Durbin Meets With Rural Health Care Providers After Congressional Republicans Slash Funding For Medicaid, Affordable Care Act

Durbin Meets With Rural Health Care Providers After Congressional Republicans Slash Funding For Medicaid, Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois members of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), who presented him with their Rural Health Legacy Award for his dedication to protecting access to health care in rural communities. During today's meeting, Durbin spoke with the health care leaders about providing care to Illinoisans after congressional Republicans rammed through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and $300 billion from Affordable Care Act coverage over the next decade. Following the passage of OBBBA, Durbin sent a letter to every hospital in Illinois to survey the projected impact on hospitals. Across the 129 responses Durbin received, hospitals across Illinois, especially those in rural areas, detailed fears about pending cuts to services and staff while emergency room wait times increase.

In response to rural hospitals' concerns about potential cuts or forced closures, Durbin has advanced his bipartisan Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act. The legislation would update Medicare's "Critical Access Hospital" (CAH) designation so more rural hospitals can qualify for this financial lifeline and continue to serve their communities with quality, affordable health care services. Small and rural hospitals are the backbone of their communities, and often the largest employers, contributing nearly $5 billion in direct spending on payroll, goods, and services in Illinois. Yet due to funding cuts passed by Congressional Republicans, more than 300 hospitals are facing immediate closure risk.

Durbin also discussed his support for fortifying the health care workforce, which is facing dangerous shortages. In 2021, Durbin secured $1 billion in the American Rescue Plan for scholarship and loan repayment awards through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps to build a more diverse pipeline of clinicians and recruit more health providers to serve in shortage areas. Further, Durbin has secured $480 million for NHSC for Fiscal Year 2026.

"Republicans' drastic cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act will do irreparable damage to Illinois' health care landscape. Today, I spoke with hospital leaders about the future of care in rural Illinois and how, with fewer resources, these hospitals and clinics can continue to provide quality, affordable care to patients," Durbin said.

A photo of Durbin's meeting with the National Rural Health Association is available here.

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