Federal government shutdown & Medicaid debate tied to rural hospital survival by Republicans, Democrats

WESTFIELD, N.Y. — The ongoing federal government shutdown and the political bickering over who is really to blame has in part been tied to questions about Medicaid funding cuts affecting rural hospitals.

2 On Your Side has a closer look at a local angle of that debate.

The Westfield Memorial Hospital in Chautauqua County has been used by both Democrats and Republicans in the debate over whether reductions in Medicaid funding will actually cause some rural hospitals to close their doors.

As we told you back in May Democratic Representative Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of New York City, specifically mentioned Westfield in a Congressional committee meeting debating the Budget Reconciliation Measure and Medicaid spending cuts.

She said back then, "Westfield Memorial Hospital will