MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – In both the U.S. House and Senate, Alabama’s congressional delegates voted along party lines.
There has been much debate on how the Trump Administration’s Big Beautiful Bill will affect healthcare in Alabama. The bill will provide $50 million to rural health care systems across the country. Alabama representative Barry Moore says this will help hospitals in Alabama significantly.
“I have the most rural hospitals of any member in Alabama’s congressional district, so that’s good for my hospitals and my local communities,” Moore said.
But Alabama Representative Terri Sewell says this money will not be enough to counteract the impacts the bill’s cuts to Medicaid will have on rural hospitals.
“With these kinds of cuts, a trillion dollars from Medicare, the fear of hospital closures is real,” Sewell said. “In fact, this bill is anticipated to close 330 hospitals across this country, including five hospitals in Alabama.”
CEO of the Alabama Hospital Association, Danne Howard, says if Alabamians lose their Medicaid coverage and are unable to afford insurance from the marketplace, it could inundate our emergency rooms.
“That will have a negative impact as we have more uninsured individuals in hospital emergency rooms, and that increases the amount of uncompensated care that’s delivered,” Howard said.
Sewell has referred to the bill as “The Big Ugly Bill,” and says she will continue to fight against it.
“It’s fiscally unsound, it’s fiscally irresponsible, and I think it’s morally irreprehensible,” she said.
But Moore says this bill is a step to achieve the Trump Administration’s goals.
“It’s his bill, it’s his opportunity, and it’s our opportunity to help the president move that America First agenda,” he said.
Sewell estimates around 170,000 Alabamians will lose Medicaid coverage because of the Big Beautiful Bill.
President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law July 4th.
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