@cindypinkceo: A trillion dollars pulled from Medicaid. A witness asked whether rural patients would be better or worse off. Her answer? “Outside her expertise.” The people living with the consequences don’t have the luxury of dodging the question. Rural hospitals already operate on razor-thin margins. Pull funding without a credible plan to keep care available, and communities risk closed doors, longer drives, and fewer choices. A takeover by a large hospital system may keep the lights on—but it doesn’t guarantee affordable care. By all trends it almost definitely guarantees price hikes. Every taxpayer dollar deserves scrutiny. So does every vote that could put the nearest emergency room another hour away. Ask your representative: What’s your plan to keep rural hospitals open and care affordable? “Outside my expertise” isn’t good enough.