I work as a rehabilitation nurse in eastern Iowa, but many of the patients I care for come from towns like Solon—neighbors who raised crops, built families, served in the military, or taught in rural schools. Now they’re fighting to walk again after a stroke, or managing a spinal cord injury, or living with a chronic illness. What they all share is this: they rely on Medicaid or Medicare to keep going.
That’s why I’m sounding the alarm about the federal budget bill that recently passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. It claims to cut waste—but in reality, it cuts care.
According to nonpartisan projections, over 7 million Americans could lose Medicaid under this bill. And if deficit rules kick in, automatic Medicare cuts could follow. For small towns and rural clinics, that means less therapy, fewer nurses, and longer drives just to see a doctor.
We’ve already lost too many maternity wards, rehab units, and rural hospitals across Iowa. If this bill becomes law, the future of local healthcare could go with it.
Here’s what often gets missed: Medicaid doesn’t just help low-income Iowans—it keeps small-town hospitals and rehab programs open. And when Medicaid shrinks, Medicare patients feel it too. These systems are connected. When one is cut, the other bleeds.
I’ve seen a retired farmer get discharged too soon because therapy days were cut. I’ve watched an older woman cry when told her follow-up appointment was 90 minutes away because the nearest clinic closed. These aren’t statistics. They’re people you know.
Solon deserves better than budget promises that gut the care real families rely on. We didn’t cause the debt. But once again, it’s rural Iowans being asked to pay the price.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher R. Crossett, DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, CRRN
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Christopher R. Crossett, DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, CRRN, is a board-certified rehabilitation nurse and doctor of nursing practice specializing in health systems leadership. Based in eastern Iowa, he advocates for equitable healthcare policy, with a focus on Medicare, Medicaid, and access to post-acute care. Dr. Crossett combines clinical expertise with systems-level insight to promote accountability, ethical governance, and patient-centered reform.