Health advocates in Kentucky are bracing for the fallout after Congress passed the Trump Administration's so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
The legislation is expected to make serious cuts to programs like Medicaid, which many people in Kentucky rely on to survive.
Emily Beauregard is the executive director for Kentucky Voices for Health. During a recent press call, she said the commonwealth stands to lose more than any other state.
"Consequences are hard to comprehend. It doesn't just make the largest cuts ever to essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP, it dismantles decades of bipartisan progress on access to care, substance use recovery, and poverty reduction.”
She said this will hurt Kentuckians on an individual level.
“This is essentially ACA repeal with no attempt at a replacement. Any tax benefit the average person gets will pale in comparison to the medical debt and the loss of healthcare that everyday Kentuckians experience.”
Beauregard is also concerned about cuts to SNAP benefits for Kentuckians. Medicaid covers around half of Kentucky’s children, and 70% of seniors’ long-term care costs.