Ballad Health speaks on potential Medicaid cuts as law makers fear hospital closures

The “Big Beautiful Bill”, as it’s been coined, contains more than 1000 pages of tax breaks, spending cuts, and the section that many have their eyes on, Medicaid spending.

According to the congressional budget office, the bill would cut nearly $700 billion dollars in federal subsidies to the Medicaid program.

This bill, if passed, would also change work requirements for people on Medicaid something congressional republicans like Representative Morgan Griffith have pushed for, “If you’re able-bodied and you’re not willing to volunteer be reeducated or get an education, you’re not willing to do some kind of engagement in your community, should the taxpayers be stressed about the fact that you’ve slipped through the cracks?”

This is something congressional democrats like Senator Mark Warner of Virginia are warning of.

“What this bill does though is just devastating to Virginia about 248,000 will lose healthcare,” Warner said.

Warner went on to cite additional changes within the health insurance marketplace and the fear that rural hospitals that receive funding for treating Medicaid patients will shut down.

To address these concerns, News 5 went to Ballad Health, our region’s leading medical provider, to find out what the impact of this bill could mean for you and your health care.

Tony Keck , System Innovation and Chief Population Health Officer for Ballad Health, says “Right now the bill, in our opinion, it is pretty good shape for physicians and hospitals in Tennessee and Virginia.”

Keck is part of the leadership within Ballad Health and a former Chief Executive for South Carolina’s state Medicaid agency.

He says these potential changes may affect the 15% of patients Ballad serves who are covered by Medicaid but Keck says with Ballad’s charity care policy, those who make below 225 percent of the federal poverty limit, can receive free health care at Ballad. Keck also says funding for this program will increase if this bill is passed.

“In the balance and that’s why it’s 1,000 page bill because it gives some and it takes away some trying to figure out how that all works up in the end ultimately we think in Tennessee and Virginia will come out ahead,” Keck said.