Honest Arizona, Caregivers Host Virtual Rural Health Care Roundtable

Participants Discussed the Impacts of Health Care Cuts that Congressmen Ciscomani and Schweikert Voted for

TUCSON — As congressional Republicans threaten to cut health care to pay for the unpopular Iran War, Honest Arizona and local caregivers hosted a Rural Health Care Roundtable to discuss the impacts on health care cuts in rural Arizona, part of the ongoing nationwide Stop Taking Our Health Care campaign.

Dr. Dan Derksen warned that because of the Republican Tax Law’s cuts – that Congressmen Schwiekert and Ciscomani voted for – Arizona’s Medicaid program will see a $34 billion cut over the next decade resulting in one-in-six hospitals closing.

“Altogether there are 11 Arizona hospitals and clinics that are really at risk and have announced cuts in their staffing already,” Dr. Derksen said. “This year alone over 140,000 Arizonans will lose their health care coverage. This particularly affects small business owners around the state, but also farmers and older adults.”

“Allowing hospitals to close or reduce services would mean a devastating loss of employment and care, endangering workers and patients across the state, overburning remaining health care facilities,” said Todd Harris, a Tucson RN with National Nurses United. 

“Prior to the H.R.1 cuts, 50% – that's one out of every two births in Arizona – were covered by Medicaid,” said Athena Salman with Reproductive Freedom for All. “At the national level, over 70 million people use Medicaid, and here in Arizona, that's roughly one in four people who were enrolled in our AHCCCS program. That means millions of people here in Arizona, including across rural Arizona, and in the nation, rely on access to Medicaid to access their reproductive health care, like birth control, STI treatment, cancer screenings, and maternal health care. But because Rep. Juan Ciscomani cut Medicaid, countless women, families, and children will suffer.”

The recording of the virtual health care roundtable is available online HERE.

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