In backdrop of shuttered MetroSouth hospital in Blue Island, south suburban officials warn Medicaid cuts could undermine health care
Blue Island's former MetroSouth hospital served as a warning Friday of what could happen if President Donald Trump's big bill aimed at slashing federal spending and extending tax cuts becomes law, elected officials and health care workers said Friday.
'We went through a hospital closure right down the street, and we know what that did to this community, but not just this community, the South Side of Chicago and the south suburbs,' state Rep. Bob Rita said at a news conference on the impact of Medicaid cuts.
'What these proposed cuts will do will just be devastating, not only for the communities I represent, but the entire state of Illinois,' he said.
Rita and other local officials, including U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, visited the Blue Island Health Center Friday to highlight how Medicaid cuts put not only uninsured people, but entire communities and hospital systems at risk.
MetroSouth Medical Center was Blue Island's largest employer until it closed in 2019, with owner Quorum Health citing multimillion dollar losses. Plans are underway to convert the former hospital into a senior living facility.
Dr. Kiran Joshi, practicing family medicine physician and chief operating officer of Cook County Health, said without Medicaid reimbursement, hospitals and clinics could be forced to cut services or close their doors completely.
'And don't forget that the costs to care for uninsured patients don't just go away,' Joshi said. 'They will increase everyone's health care costs, and that impacts access to care for everyone.'
Jacquelyn Banks, a mental health clinician at the health center, said 60% of patients served by such community health centers are covered by Medicaid. Banks said she has already seen an uptick in symptoms in patients concerned about how potential Medicaid cuts would affect them as well as a decrease in medication compliance.
'They're afraid,' Banks said. 'They're hoarding medications should they need them in the future. They don't know what the future looks like, so they're willing to risk their stability at this time.'
Trump and Republican lawmakers' One Big Beautiful Bill Act was written to find $880 billion in cuts from programs under the purview of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which includes jurisdiction over Medicaid. If the bill passed in its current form, an estimated 10.9 million people could lose access to health coverage, officials said.
Supporters of the bill have said that rather than cut programs, they aim to remove people who are taking advantage of the system and protect it for those who need it most.
But health care providers like Banks believe the result could bring widespread illness, higher insurance premiums and longer wait times for care.
'We as medical professionals know the risk. We know the science behind this,' Banks said. 'The very factor causing folks to improve their health should not be what causes them to become more ill.'
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