Cortez Masto Confronts Trump with Devastating Impact of his One Big Beautiful Bill Act in Rural Nevada

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to recognize the devastating impact his One Big Beautiful Bill is already having on rural health care in Nevada. In anticipation of upcoming Medicaid cuts, Boulder City Hospital is converting from a Critical Access Hospital to a Rural Emergency Hospital, meaning it can no longer provide inpatient services and resulting in a mass layoff of 71 employees.

"As an independent, privately funded hospital, Boulder City Hospital has been able to provide health care services to these residents thanks in part to the Nevada Private Hospital Provider Tax Program, which provides nearly $800 million in supplemental Medicaid funding to private hospitals in the state each year," Senator Cortez Masto began. "Your landmark legislation, which freezes current provider tax rates and cuts the maximum allowable provider tax rate nearly in half by 2032, rips this crucial funding stream away from hospitals caring for Nevada's most underserved communities. Because of this change, Boulder City Hospital is expecting a 50% reduction in supplemental Medicaid provider tax revenue - a considerable blow for a hospital that already operates on slim margins."

"The sacrifices Boulder City Hospital is making to keep their doors open are just one example of what is occurring across the nation and what will continue to happen as the Medicaid cuts in H.R.1 go into effect," she wrote. "The American health care system is already under water. […] As health care facilities reduce services, cut staffing, and consider closures because they can no longer rely on federal support, these challenges will only worsen."

"As you consider future proposals to improve our nation's health care system, I implore you to contemplate the long-term implications for Americans," she concluded. "It is essential that the stories of the role your landmark legislation plays in creating additional barriers for our rural communities make it all the way to you in the White House."

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Senator Cortez Masto has consistently fought to ensure all Nevadans, especially in rural communities, have access to high-quality, affordable health care. She has introduced legislation to protect access to ground ambulance medical services and telehealth, both of which are critically important to health care in rural and underserved communities. She cosponsored legislation to support labor and delivery units in rural hospitals. Following the passage of the Republican tax law, she met with rural hospital staff to discuss the impacts of its Medicaid cuts. She has led efforts to lower drug costs for seniors, hold Big Pharma accountable, and expand Medicare drug price negotiation.

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