Medicaid cuts to recovery in Appalachia will strain all of Kentucky Billy O’Bryan and Tara Hyde

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A new law, H.R. 1, cuts federal Medicaid funding and adds work reporting requirements for recipients.

An estimated 200,000 Kentuckians are projected to lose health coverage by 2027 due to the law.

The legislation could lead to the closure of up to 35 rural hospitals in Kentucky, particularly in Appalachia.

State policymakers are urged to broadly interpret exemptions for people with substance use disorders to prevent loss of care.

For Kentuckians with substance use disorders (SUDs), the stakes are high. Amid an ongoing overdose epidemic that has hit our state exceptionally hard, House Resolution 1 will only thwart our ability to obtain lifesaving care by adding red tape to Medicaid and gutting the program which over 20% of adults with an SUD nationwide rely on f