From a 'huge win' to the 'largest loss of health care in American history,' Kentuckians are weighing in on the GOP megabill

Mixed Response

In a statement, Sen. Mitch McConnell said his chamber's version of the bill advanced the agenda voters supported when they sent Republican majorities to Washington and President Donald Trump back to the White House, though he lamented what he described as a missed opportunity to bolster national defense.

"We’re bolstering border security, investing in programs that assist our farmers, raising take-home pay for working Kentuckians, and preventing the largest tax hike in American history," he said.

Sen. Rand Paul said he offered his vote if there was a 90% reduction in the debt ceiling increase, but he wrote that "Congress chose to sell out taxpayers instead."

"Only once the bill is released, we will know what the true price was," he added.

Back at home, Dustin Pugel with the left-leaning Kentucky Center for Economic Policy told WUKY the bill is a "massive rejection of the value of Medicaid to Kentucky."

"The Senate just voted to take health insurance away from over 200,000 Kentuckians covered by Medicaid, another 47,000 Kentuckians covered by Kynect, could take food assistance away from 50,000 older folks and folks with kids in their homes, and all to partially offset tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy," he said.

The bill now heads back to the House where most of Kentucky's Republican majority supported the first version of the bill with the exception of Congressman Thomas Massie, who has echoed Paul's concerns about the debt.

Congressman Andy Barr characterized the bill's passage from the upper chamber as a "huge win for Kentucky and the country."

Rural Hospital Fund

Critics of the bill, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, have warned the cuts could lead to shuttered rural hospitals.

"It is going to damage rural health care in a way that we might not be able to recover from," Beshear said in a recent video post.

It's not a concern that necessarily runs along partisan lines. Some Republicans, including McConnell, pushed to increase a Rural Hospital Fund inside the megabill.

Ultimately, the chamber landed on a figure of $50 billion.

The number may sound hefty, but Pugel says the figure pales in comparison to what would actually be needed.

"Kentucky alone stands to lose $10 billion over 10 years in rural parts of our state, which is almost double what any other state in America would face," he said. "So a $50 billion fund for all 50 states is a drop in the bucket compared to what we stand to lose, with 200,000 fewer people covered."

The hospital fund would be spread out over five years.