Virginia leaders and medical professionals warn the “Big Beautiful Bill” could devastate rural healthcare

TAZEWELL, VA (WVNS) – Leaders and medical professionals from around the Commonwealth of Virginia gathered in Tazewell to raise awareness for the possible negative side effects that could snowball after the passing of the Big Beautiful Bill.

The biggest concern they had was for rural healthcare, specifically at the Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital. Projections show that CTCH could shut down in the future due to the Medicare and Medicaid cuts passed in this bill. US Representative Jennifer McClellan of Virginia District 4 joined this event.

“When you do not have health insurance, you still get sick, you still go to the doctor, but oftentimes you do not get your primary care. You are showing up in the emergency room when the cost of care is much higher. That care is going to be compensated and then the rest of us pay for it to either higher health care costs that we pay or higher insurance premiums for those of us who are insured,” said Representative McClellan.

Local doctors, such as Dr. David Mitchell from Abingdon participated to shed a medical light on this situation. He argued this will really hurt Virginia – as most of the patients he takes care of work manual labor jobs. These patients mainly rely on Medicare and Medicaid to help them afford healthcare.

“That hard work wears down the body. A lot of these patients I see work very hard physical jobs all their life. As they develop chronic progressive diseases, they cannot do what they are trained to do. They cannot do what they are professionally able to do. So, these are points in life that become a barrier. We shouldn’t, as a nation abandon these individuals,” said Dr. Mitchell.

SAARA of Virginia is a group that advocates for addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery. President Jason Pritchard explained these cuts will greatly hinder folks’ abilities to break free from their addictions in rural areas.

“When rural health facilities close, fewer people can achieve and stay in recovery. Let me tell you, if someone is experiencing an overdose, the difference between life and death may literally be how quickly they can get to a hospital,” said Pritchard.

The ultimate goal of this address was an effort to get Congress to change their minds on the Big Beautiful Bill. Representative McClellan said it is not too late for a reversal.

Supporters for the Big Beautiful Bill like West Virginia’s US Senator Shelley Moore Capito claim that the bill will help sustain the nation’s budget, while cracking down on what she calls fraudulent use of Medicare and Medicaid.

Representative McClellan countered this claim, saying that the aftereffects of the Big Beautiful Bill will cause even greater harm to the nation’s budget.