Rural Healthcare at Risk Under the “Big Beautiful Bill”
A Beautiful Disaster: What Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” Could Mean for Mark Twain Hospital—and Those of Us who Depend on it.
If you or someone you love depends on Mark Twain Medical Center, you need to pay attention to what’s happening in Washington, D.C. right now.
On June 17, Senate Republicans unveiled their version of what President Trump has branded his “Big Beautiful Bill”— a sweeping federal budget and policy proposal that includes deep cuts to Medicaid and changes to federal programs rural communities rely on most. The Senate hopes to finalize it before the July 4 holiday. If they succeed, the consequences for rural health care could be catastrophic—especially here in Calaveras County.
Massive Medicaid cuts that could force rural hospitals to reduce services or shut down entirely. While there’s talk of “efficiency” and “streamlining,” make no mistake: this is a blueprint to shift funding away from public health and safety nets results in a new priority toward corporate interests and political appointees.
Let’s break down what’s at stake.
Mark Twain Medical Center: A Lifeline on the Line
Mark Twain Medical Center is one of the few hospitals serving a wide swath of our rural community. Like most rural hospitals, it depends heavily on Medicaid reimbursements to stay afloat. But this new bill proposes deeper cuts to Medicaid than those already approved by the House, putting our hospital—and others like it—on the chopping block.
According to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, over 600 rural hospitals across the U.S. are at immediate risk of closureMany more are financially vulnerable. You can see for yourself on this interactive map where Mark Twain Medical Center falls in terms of risk.
Who Gets Hurt? We Do.
These proposed Medicaid cuts don’t just hurt hospitals—they hurt people. Seniors. Children. Low-income families. Disabled residents. Veterans. Anyone who relies on Mark Twain for emergency care, cancer screenings, prenatal visits, or treatment for chronic illnesses.
The CBO estimates Medicaid would be cut by $700 billion over the next decade. Add that to $300 billion in food stamp reductions and new barriers like work requirements and income verification rules, and it paints a clear picture: rural Americans are being asked to pay for corporate tax breaks with their health.
Mark Twain Medical Center has served Calaveras County for decades. It’s more than a hospital—it’s a safety net, a lifeline, and a symbol of what it means to care for one another in rural America.
We can’t afford to lose it.
Specialty media sites are reporting on the threat to rural healthcare as Next Avenue published recently: A Country Doctor Leads a Fight to Save Medicaid. Don’t let this happen in Calaveras County. Contact your Congressional Reps and let them know what you think.
Sources:
Mark Twain Medical Center Community Benefit 2023 Report and 2024 Plan