Davids speaks with frontline health care providers on impact of extreme Republican Medicaid cuts
KANSAS CITY, KS – Representative Sharice Davids joined nearly 200 health care workers at Vibrant Health to discuss the harmful impact of recently enacted Republican Medicaid cuts. Davids heard directly from providers about how these cuts, which she voted against, will threaten all Kansas families’ access to affordable care — and reaffirmed her commitment to protecting the health and well-being of every Kansan, over billionaire tax giveaways.
“Kansans shouldn’t have to pay more or travel farther for health care just so billionaires can get another tax break,” said Davids. “These Medicaid cuts will strip coverage from hardworking families, force rural hospitals to close, raise premiums, and reduce access to essential care for all children, seniors, and veterans. I voted against these cuts — and yes, I’m angry. But I’m also determined to keep pushing back against these extreme policies, lowering costs for Kansans, and protecting the care our communities count on."
"At Vibrant Health, our goal is to ensure that everyone in our community has access to high-quality healthcare,” said Patrick Sallee, President & CEO, Vibrant Health. “Many of the people we see in our clinics rely on Medicaid, many of them children, whose parents simply want them to grow up healthy and thrive. When families worry about the cost of care, they often delay or avoid essential preventive services. Cuts to Medicaid don’t just reduce coverage — they increase the barriers our patients face in staying healthy."
The law, signed last week by President Trump, includes the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history. According to the U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee, the new law will strip coverage from 92,937 Kansans, put six rural hospitals across Kansas at risk of closure, restrict reproductive health care, and increase Affordable Care Act premiums by $780 per year for Third District families.
President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ Medicaid cuts will hit Kansas hard, with hospitals across the state projected to lose more than $78 million annually. The University of Kansas Hospital, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, and AdventHealth Shawnee Mission are among those facing the steepest losses. Medicaid covers one-fifth of hospital spending, so eliminating coverage for nearly 12 million Americans will significantly increase uncompensated care, including at Community Health Centers. Hospitals already operating in the red may not survive the added financial pressures of treating more uninsured patients without reimbursement.
“Health Partnership Clinic is evaluating the impact that the recently passed bill will have on our organization and patients that we serve,” said Amy Falk, Chief Executive Officer, Health Partnership Clinic. “Any time there are potential cuts that may affect our funding, we do a thorough analysis and make the necessary adjustments that are needed, and sometimes these are not easy decisions. HPC remains committed to being here for the patients we serve in Johnson, Miami, and Franklin counties.”
These harmful provisions in the law go far beyond health care. In the Kansas Third District alone, 15,000 households could lose access to emergency nutrition assistance, and local grocery stores — especially in rural communities — may be forced to close. Cuts to clean energy incentives could eliminate up to 10,000 good-paying jobs and increase utility bills by $670 per household. Meanwhile, the law adds $3.3 trillion to the national debt and gives massive tax breaks to billionaires, even as it raises taxes on hardworking families.
Throughout her time in Congress, Davids has championed policies to make health care more affordable and accessible. She voted to cap insulin costs at $35 per month for Medicare recipients, extend tax credits that help families afford insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and cap annual out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors. She also supported giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices — saving 74,000 Kansans up to 79 percent — and led efforts to ban surprise medical billing and increase transparency from insurers to help patients avoid costly out-of-network care.
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