Pritzker, health leaders warn of rural hospital risks under new federal law

DU QUOIN, Ill., (KBSI) — Gov. JB Pritzker joined state and regional health leaders Monday at Marshall Browning Hospital to discuss the potential impacts of a new federal law that could cut Medicaid coverage beginning in 2027.

The measure, dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” was passed by Congress on July 4. A federal report released earlier this year identified nine rural Illinois hospitals at risk of closure under the law, including four in Southern Illinois.

Kim Mitroka, president of the Community Resource Healthcare Planning Center (CRHPC), said many patients in the region rely heavily on Medicaid. “If no changes are made by the time this goes into effect, many of our patients will be forced to only seek emergency room care,” Mitroka said. “That jeopardizes their own health and safety.”

Pritzker said the law’s delayed implementation date gives officials time to seek changes. “The good thing is, these effects are not going to happen immediately,” he said. “I have done everything in my power to keep this from passing. Unfortunately, those efforts did not succeed. We are going to continue to do everything in our power to make sure we provide healthcare coverage to low-income families.”

John Antes, CEO of Southern Illinois Healthcare, said the law will strain hospitals across the system. “So many people will be impacted in different ways throughout our system,” he said. “We are not going to be forced to shut down all of our hospitals, but this is really going to impact a large majority of those who seek care within our system.”

Monday’s roundtable was the first in a series of events scheduled to address the potential effects of the legislation.