The Senate budget bill is even worse: Healthcare system on verge of being gutted

Six rural Virginia hospitals are now at risk of being closed, but good news for the 1 percent – you’ll be getting your tax breaks.

“It’s clear that the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are only interested in helping the wealthiest, even if it means ripping off working- and middle-class people, killing jobs, and hurting our economy. Americans deserve better than this,” U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both D-Va., said in a joint statement after the 51-50 U.S. Senate vote on Tuesday passing the ridiculously named Big, Beautiful Bill, which will gut Medicare and Medicaid, throw millions of the health insurance rolls, pump more money into massively unpopular mass deportations, and also – and this is the primary goal for the oligarchs here – give millionaires and billionaires more money, because rich people obviously don’t have enough money, need more money, can never get enough money.

The fight against this monstrosity ain’t over with just yet – the House needs to pass the Senate version to get the legislation to Trump’s sharpie.

Bad news: that’s just a formality at this point.

Which means, for you, if your local hospital is Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center in Emporia, Southampton Memorial Hospital in Franklin, Rappahanock General Hospital in Kilmarnock, Lee County Community Hospital in Pennington Gap, Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill or Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital in Tazwell, well, you’re about to be sh*t out of luck.

Those six made the list of 338 rural hospitals nationwide at risk of closing, because a high percentage of their patient base relies on Medicare and Medicaid to pay for their care.

And the threat here isn’t just hospital closures, which is bad enough. A statement from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association on the Senate bill notes that the cuts “would cost Virginia hospitals more than $2 billion annually in essential funding that helps them sustain their operations, employ people in communities across the Commonwealth, and care for people in their moment of need.”

“The effect of that financial impact would be devastating to hospitals. It is likely that several hospitals, including those serving rural parts of Virginia, could end up closing in that scenario. Others may have to cut services or reduce employment, which would limit patient access to care,” the VHHA said in the statement.

All of this is on top of the 16 million Americans, and 302,000 Virginians, who would lose access to Medicare- and Medicaid-funded care, and the additional 16 million Americans, and 388,000 Virginians, who would see their health insurance bills jump $1,000 a month or more.

What a country we live in.

“In every corner of our Commonwealth, I hear from Virginians who are concerned about rising healthcare costs. At this moment, they deserve elected officials who will defend access to affordable coverage and work every day to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs. Instead, Virginians are watching as Republicans in Washington inject chaos into our healthcare system,” said Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman who is the Democratic Party nominee for governor in the 2025 election cycle.

“The legislation passed in the U.S. Senate today would rip away healthcare coverage from hundreds of thousands of our neighbors, including Virginians with disabilities,” Spanberger said. “Additionally, this bill would threaten the survival of our rural hospitals, overwhelm our emergency rooms as more Virginians forego preventative care and check-ups, and drive up costs for Virginia families.

“This misguided bill is a direct threat to the stability of our Commonwealth’s healthcare system and the financial security of Virginia parents, families, and seniors,” Spanberger said.