Drastic Backfire Thwarts GOP's Plan to Hide Megabill Pain Until Midterms: Report

Members of the Republican party recognized that passing President Donald Trump's "large, impressive bill" might negatively impact their chances in the mid-term elections because of numerous healthcare reductions funding the law. To protect themselves, they developed a strategy: the Medicaid reduction measures will not begin until 2027, whereas the tax benefits included in the bill, such as tip deduction provisions, take place right away.

However, despite knowing that this complicates their task of criticizing the bill, reported According to Politico, there is one aspect of the Republican Party's proposal that appears uncertain. Rural hospitals are beginning to close well ahead of when the Medicaid reductions will be implemented.

In this cycle, Democrats have targeted more Republican-leaning districts in Kentucky, Florida, and Virginia as they aim to expand their presence in areas currently held by the GOP," stated Politico. "This is partly due to the fact that although much of the impact has been delayed for as long as possible, certain consequences—such as those affecting rural hospitals which operate with extended planning horizons—are beginning to manifest earlier than expected.

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A former member of the Kentucky State Legislature, Cherlynn Stevenson, who is seeking a congressional position that the Democratic Party was unable to win during the 2018 midterm elections due to ongoing healthcare-related opposition, stated to Politico, "We must make sure voters understand that the effects will gradually unfold, with much of the harm not becoming apparent until next year or beyond the midterms. We'll have to keep reminding people that parts of the legislation are yet to take effect and important dates are approaching."

During the entire course of the bill's legislative journey, hospital administrators were desperately warning that the reductions might lead to the shutdown of rural hospitals across the nation, making it difficult for people to reach healthcare services. Republicans have attempted to address this problem by creating a bailout fund for hospitals impacted, but this funding represents only a small portion of the reductions Medicaid will face over the next ten years.

This also occurs as certain Republicans have begun pushing for modifications to the law to reduce its possible effects.

Several Republican legislators who supported the large bill are now seeking to prevent certain stringent measures—such as modifications to the provider tax that might negatively impact rural hospitals—from becoming effective," stated the report, adding that Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) remarked recently, "If Republicans wish to avoid being blamed for reducing Medicaid funding, they should likely refrain from doing so.

Hawley supported the legislation even after several weeks of expressing worries regarding the reductions.