File Photo: Caption for Photo: Medicaid Waiver written on the keyboard button

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) Federal safety-net programs face major potential cuts as the Trump administration pursues budget reductions, with a House GOP proposal suggesting two-point-five trillion fewer dollars for Medicaid. Three million Pennsylvanians are insured through Medicaid, and a Georgetown University report shows rural residents rely on Medicaid more than people in metro areas. Becky Ludwick of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children says Medicaid is vital in providing health care for the state, which ranks fifth in the nation for its rural population. The report shows over one-point-seven million people live in rural Pennsylvania, and Ludwick says rural adults rely on Medicaid at a higher rate than their urban counterparts. The report says cuts would also affect the economies of rural communities, where hospitals are often a major employer.