The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR-1) at-a-Glance
From healthcare to food assistance, the Bill is slashing programs that Southwest Georgians rely on.
Healthcare Access
Hospitals and clinics across the country, especially in rural areas like ours, need Medicaid and Medicare to stay open because many of our neighbors are covered by those programs. Right now, 25 rural hospitals in the state are already at risk of closing, including Lifebrite Community Hospital of Early in Blakely and Donalsonville Hospital, Inc. in Donalsonville.[1][2] With massive cuts to federal payments for Medicaid providers on the horizon, rural and safety-net hospitals will be under even greater financial pressure and forced to consider cutting services or closing their doors.[3]
Government Assistance
About 1.8 million Georgians get health coverage through Medicaid, and 32,000 of us are at risk of losing coverage because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.[4] Because of rising premiums and a failure to extend the tax credits that made marketplace plans affordable, over half a million Georgians enrolled in Georgia Access have already been forced to drop their health insurance.[5]
Education Cuts
The One Big Beautiful Bill creates a voucher-style program designed to starve our public schools of much needed funding. By spending an estimated $3 billion per year, the federal government will push Georgia families out of public schools, which means less funding for the kids who need it most.[8]