News that Paul Ryan and the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives want to roll back the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion has rural hospitals facing a huge financial hit with hundreds of health facilities already facing closure. There’s already been a wave of rural hospital closures, particularly in states that didn’t expand Medicaid coverage for poor Americans. Even without an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, more than 670 rural hospitals are at risk for closure, according to The Chartis Group , which released a study earlier this month at the Rural Health Policy Institute. About 70 million Americans are covered by Medicaid and its related health insurance for children and low-income adults. The federal match under the ACA gradually dwindles to 90% federal dollars by 2020, but is still better than the standard federal match of between 50% and 75% that existed before President Barack Obama signed the ACA into law.

Source: Forbes February 26, 2017 14:24 UTC