Two groups in Arkansas held a public town hall Saturday, as part of a nationwide rally, the Families First: 50-State Day of Peaceful Action. Arkansas Citizens First Congress and the Arkansas Public Policy Panel led the discussion, speaking on the broad impacts of the Trump Administration’s reconciliation bill titled the "One Big Beautiful Bill." Pete Gess, Economic Policy Director for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, spoke about the critical dangers rural hospitals are facing.
“A recent study said 30 out of 47 rural hospitals in Arkansas are already in financial danger. This is before this bill. Even those that don't end up shutting down will be cutting services, so you might have to drive farther for certain services. Um, and that means laying off employees, right. And many of these rural communities, the hospital’s the largest employer,” Gess said.
Gess said, however, the specific case of rural hospital funding is one example of how citizen activism can effect change.
“Senators heard so much from people about rural communities being really hurt that they put in the Rural Health Transfer Program, which identified $50 billion to be used to help prop up rural hospitals because they realized how much harm they were causing with the Medicaid cuts. I'm not suggesting we congratulate them too much, because that $50 billion is about 5% of the $1 trillion cuts in Medicaid.”
Other economic impacts Gess spoke about included the new cost-share for Supplemental Nutrition, or SNAP benefits. He said over a third of the state’s projected budget surplus may be needed for the SNAP cost-share. The full conversation is available on the Arkansas Public Policy Panel Facebook page.
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