Rural access to health care is shrinking in New Hampshire, and providers said they’re preparing for more cuts included in the recent federal budget. HealthFirst, a federally qualified health center in Laconia, serves underserved and rural populations.CEO Ted Bolognani said 30% to 40% of the center’s patients are covered by Medicaid, so federal budget changes are already affecting care.”One of the things we just recently did is we are closing one of our health care facilities,” Bolognani said. “We’re cutting services, having to stop both our primary care and behavioral health services at our Canaan location.”In addition to access shrinking, the Bi-State Primary Care Association said the changes are creating new gaps in coverage.Medicaid recipients who cannot meet the new work requirements or who work but fail to complete the necessary paperwork are not allowed to fall back on subsidized insurance through Obamacare, due to changes passed in President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<“If you’re not eligible for Medicaid, you are ineligible to be able to purchase something on the marketplace,” said Tess Kuenning of Bi-State Primary Care Association. “This is one of the provisions in the bill.”Sen. Maggie Hassan toured HealthFirst on Wednesday to meet with health care workers and discuss the impact of the budget.She said many Senate colleagues didn’t realize the full extent of what the bill would cut.“They didn’t know, for instance, that the Affordable Care Act, premium health credits, that’s a fancy label for the subsidies that people get to help them with the Affordable Care Act marketplace premiums, they haven’t been reauthorized, so we’re going to see an increase in those premiums unless my Republican colleagues changed course,” Hassan said.Doctors said nearly $1 trillion in federal cuts over the next decade could push the rural health care system, including federally qualified health centers, towards financial collapse.>> Subscribe to WMUR’s YouTube channel <<
Rural access to health care is shrinking in New Hampshire, and providers said they’re preparing for more cuts included in the recent federal budget.
HealthFirst, a federally qualified health center in Laconia, serves underserved and rural populations.
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CEO Ted Bolognani said 30% to 40% of the center’s patients are covered by Medicaid, so federal budget changes are already affecting care.
“One of the things we just recently did is we are closing one of our health care facilities,” Bolognani said. “We’re cutting services, having to stop both our primary care and behavioral health services at our Canaan location.”
In addition to access shrinking, the Bi-State Primary Care Association said the changes are creating new gaps in coverage.
Medicaid recipients who cannot meet the new work requirements or who work but fail to complete the necessary paperwork are not allowed to fall back on subsidized insurance through Obamacare, due to changes passed in President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.
>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<
“If you’re not eligible for Medicaid, you are ineligible to be able to purchase something on the marketplace,” said Tess Kuenning of Bi-State Primary Care Association. “This is one of the provisions in the bill.”
Sen. Maggie Hassan toured HealthFirst on Wednesday to meet with health care workers and discuss the impact of the budget.
She said many Senate colleagues didn’t realize the full extent of what the bill would cut.
“They didn’t know, for instance, that the Affordable Care Act, premium health credits, that’s a fancy label for the subsidies that people get to help them with the Affordable Care Act marketplace premiums, they haven’t been reauthorized, so we’re going to see an increase in those premiums unless my Republican colleagues changed course,” Hassan said.
Doctors said nearly $1 trillion in federal cuts over the next decade could push the rural health care system, including federally qualified health centers, towards financial collapse.
