Courtesy of WENY News
PITTSBURGH, PA (PTTP) – A House GOP proposal has suggested $2.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid on behalf of the Trump administration pursuing budget reductions.
Three million residents in Pennsylvania are insured through Medicaid, and rural residents rely on Medicaid more than people in metro areas. Medicaid currently ranks fifth in the nation for rural populations, and is vital for providing health care for the state, thus this cut will deeply affect many.
More than 37% of children in rural areas of Pennsylvania rely on Medicaid for their coverage, and more than 1.7 million people total live in rural areas. Not only would these cuts affect citizens and their medical insurance, but also economies.
Rural residents already tend to have worse health outcomes, including higher maternal and infant mortality rates. Medicaid coverage is crucial for a variety of reasons; it lowers the uninsured rate for children and helps families afford preventive services and health care.
It is important for policymakers to realize programs like Medicaid are not government waste. The future of Pennsylvania heavily relies on this proposal.