(The Center Square) – While Illinois Democrats say hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans are going to lose health insurance and rural hospitals are going to close, Republicans say that’s not true.
President Donald Trump’s one big beautiful bill has been criticized by Democrats like Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who claims “people will die.”
“We have critical access hospitals across central and southern Illinois that I would be surprised if we don’t see closures of hospitals,” Pritzker said in Peoria July 1. “I would not be at all surprised to see several hospitals close.”
Christian Maxwell, a Republican running for Illinois’ 1st Congressional District, said Democrats are fearmongering and rural hospitals will get support in the federal legislation.
“There is a $50 billion allocation in the big beautiful bill to help those hospitals to access much needed funding to invest in things like equipment and all of that,” Maxwell told The Center Square.
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association warned estimated reductions in federal funds for health care could lead to fewer people accessing treatment and thousands of laid off medical personnel.
“Slashing its funding would not only harm patients but also decimate local economies and push hospitals closer to collapse,” said a statement from IHA opposing the measure.
Supporters of the legislation say Medicaid is meant to be a safety net and not a replacement for self-sufficiency.
Maxwell said what the law does is require able bodied people wanting Medicaid to either work or do community service for 20 hours a week so they can contribute.
“Why do we need them to contribute to their own care? Because there are disabled, there are elderly and there are children who absolutely need to have access to that program and the funding that is attached to Medicaid and [the Affordable Care Act], that is not endless funding,” Maxwell said.
