CNN REPORTS: More Than 330 Rural Hospitals Have Closed or Scaled Back Services Due to Trump’s Medicaid Cuts — And He’s Forcing All Employees to Brace for Even Deeper Reductions

A new CNN investigation has revealed a sweeping crisis unfolding across rural America as more than 330 rural hospitals have closed or dramatically reduced services following a series of aggressive Medicaid funding cuts enacted under former President Donald Trump’s policies.

Health officials warn the closures represent one of the most significant collapses of rural healthcare access in modern U.S. history, leaving tens of thousands without nearby emergency rooms, maternity care, or specialized treatment. In many regions, patients now must travel more than an hour for basic medical attention.

The report also notes that hospital employees are being forced to comply with sweeping internal mandates, including reduced hours, unpaid leave rotations, and mandatory cross-department assignments — measures hospital administrators say are necessary to keep facilities from shutting their doors entirely.

Rural health networks point to Trump-era Medicaid restrictions as the primary driver of the crisis. The cuts slashed reimbursements for low-income patients, destabilizing hospitals already operating on razor-thin margins.

Many facilities lost millions in annual funding, pushing them into bankruptcy or forcing them to curtail essential services such as trauma care, obstetrics, and surgical units.

Healthcare advocates warn the fallout is far from over. Without immediate federal relief, an additional 200 rural hospitals could close within the next two years, deepening what experts describe as a “national emergency hiding in plain sight.”

State officials across the Midwest and South — the hardest-hit regions — say they have been inundated with complaints from families who are now hours away from lifesaving care.

The White House has not yet issued a public response to the CNN findings.