SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— According to our sister station in Indianapolis, some lawmakers fear that at least a dozen rural hospitals in Indiana are at risk due to Medicaid budget cuts proposed in President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.
Four Democratic Senators and at least one Republican have warned that many smaller hospitals throughout the country could be at risk under the proposed cuts. The bill could create a challenging financial environment for hospitals and potentially lead to closures.
Tuesday evening, we spoke with one of the 12 Indiana hospitals that could potentially be impacted by the bill. Sullivan County Community Hospital CEO Michelle Franklin said their hospital is on the list, but will not be closing. She said that they could face financial issues due to Medicaid cuts.
“If it goes through with the senate language, it could result in several billions of dollars of loss to our hospitals in this state,” said Franklin. “Not just my hospital, which would have millions of dollars of loss from Medicaid, but across our state. I think just across the board, it’s a really critical bill for our state.”
The Senate passed the bill Tuesday afternoon. The bill will now head back to the House for consideration.
The letter lists 12 Indiana hospitals that could potentially be impacted by the bill:
- Daviess Community Hospital in Washington
- Memorial Hospital Logansport in Logansport
- Community Hospital of Bremen Inc. in Bremen
- Ascension St. Vincent Randolph in Winchester
- Ascension St. Vincent Jennings in North Vernon
- Ascension St. Vincent Clay in Brazil
- Ascension St. Vincent Salem in Salem
- IU Health Jay Hospital in Portland
- Franciscan Health Rensselaer in Rensselaer
- Sullivan County Community Hospital in Sullivan
- Adams Memorial Hospital in Decatur
- Harrison County Hospital in Corydon
To read a full copy of the letter and the list of potentially affected hospitals, click here.
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