Rural hospitals face funding cuts

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Hundreds of rural hospitals are bracing for funding cuts and potential closures as House Republicans race to pass President Donald Trump's sweeping budget bill by the end of the week. 

The legislation includes about $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts, which would restrict reimbursements to rural hospitals.

"It will close rural hospitals down. Very plain, very simple," said U.S. Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). "This is not partisan. This is not political. The facts are the facts."

"We're not going to do anything that's going to hurt rural hospitals," said U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.)/ "A lot of the cuts are really just trying to focus on where there's been a lot of waste and fraud."

Republicans argue the bill includes a new $25 billion, five-year fund for rural hospitals, but Democrats say they're not taking the bait.

"So, you're like taking away with one hand and giving a little back," said U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.). "I mean, that's kind of a joke."

"Twenty-five billion dollars is a drop in the bucket," said U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.).

Johnson and Gottheimer said these cuts would lead to higher healthcare costs overall, but U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) said this is about keeping people on private health insurance.

"Rather than having policies that encourage people to leave those policies and instead head over toward Medicaid, which is oftentimes an insufficient reimbursement for the hospitals themselves," Smith said.

The National Rural Health Association predicts more than half of states would see at least a 20 percent funding cut.