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Rural hospitals across the US face potential service cuts, including for children and cancer patients, due to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act cuts in a recent domestic policy bill. The cuts, totaling nearly $1 trillion, risk closing over 300 rural hospitals. Hospitals are implementing hiring freezes and exploring options like increased private insurance reimbursements to mitigate the impact. While the bill includes $50 billion for rural hospitals, experts deem it insufficient to offset the losses. Patients, especially those in low-income areas, face potential disruptions in access to care and increased travel distances for treatment.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.