Nearly 9 out of 10 counties in the United States have been formally designated primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas by the U.S. government. That affects 80 million Americans. Even more Americans, 123 million to be precise, live in mental health shortage areas. More than one-third of all rural hospitals are at risk of closing. And this was all true before the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slashed more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, and before the Trump administration continued its push to privatize the VA health care system, sending millions more patients into a private-sector network that already struggles to serve its population.
This week on our live show, David Dayen talks to contributor Suzanne Gordon, who did an investigation for the Prospect on the troubling state of American health care, before the carnage of the next few years. David and Suzanne talk about how the VA is actually a symbol for what a good health care system can look like, and how dismantling it will have huge repercussions for veterans and the rest of us patients.
As we cover the regime in Washington and its impact on your life, we’ll be livestreaming every Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET to give you the information you need to understand the week in news. Join us by subscribing to our YouTube channel today!
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