A Tiny Band-Aid for a Big Medicaid Wound

Republicans in the Senate are trying to fix a huge problem with a tiny solution. They want to cut $800 billion from Medicaid, a program that helps millions of Americans get healthcare. This could hurt many people, especially those in rural areas who rely on Medicaid to keep their hospitals open. Some Republicans say they understand the cuts will harm their voters. But instead of changing their plan, they proposed a $15 billion fund to help rural hospitals. Democrats say this is not enough and is just a way to make the cuts seem less bad. Senator Ron Wyden called the fund a "sick joke. " He and other Democrats say the real problem is the huge cuts to Medicaid. They argue that instead of trying to fix the damage, Republicans should not make the cuts in the first place. The cuts could cause more than 330 rural hospitals to close. This would make it harder for people to get the healthcare they need. Democrats say the $15 billion fund is just a "fig leaf" to hide the real harm of the cuts. Some Republicans want a bigger fund, but Democrats say even that would not fix the problem. They argue that the only real solution is to stop the cuts to Medicaid.