NYT: ACA repeal threatens jobs and healthcare in rural America

The debate over the ACA has many rural Americans concerned they could not only lose healthcare access, but also lose their jobs, according to a report from The New York Times.

The report zeroes in on the community surrounding Mountain Home, Ark.-based Baxter Regional Medical Center — a hospital that serves as an economic foundation for its community. Baxter Regional employs 1,600 people and is the single largest employer in Baxter County. Since 2011, the hospital has added 221 jobs, growing staff by 16 percent. An economic impact review conducted by the hospital found its workers' earnings and spending helped create another 1,280 jobs within the community, according to the report.

If the ACA were repealed and Medicaid expansion rolled back, the hospital would take a significant financial hit. It could drive the hospital to consolidate with a larger system and cut down its workforce, according to the report. The economic impact report cited by The New York Times estimated Baxter Regional would have to lay off 500 people if Medicaid expansion were repealed in Arkansas. Many employees told The New York Times they would likely have to move away to find employment.

The same applies in many other rural towns around America. Funding established in the ACA allowed the healthcare industry to become a "ceaseless job producer," according to the report, which cites a Goldman Sachs analysis that found ACA funding has helped create roughly 500,000 healthcare jobs since 2012.

Read the full story here.

 

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