For people in this New England mountain town, a health center’s closure leaves unanswered questions

For more than two decades, Susan Bushby, a 70-year-old housekeeper from a rural ski town in New Hampshire's White Mountains, took comfort in knowing she only had a short drive to reach the community health center. The lodge-like medical building, which sits on a hill overlooking town, was like a second home for Bushby and many other patients. The front desk staff knew their names and never missed a chance to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Staff photos of the wilderness that make this place such a draw hung on the walls, and bumping into a neighbor in the waiting room was routine. But last October, this site of the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Franconia, a town of around 1,000 people, closed for good. Officials blamed cuts in Medicaid, the federal program that millions of low-income Americans rely on for healthcare. The 1,400 patients, almost half of them older and some facing serious health challenges like cancer and early-stage dementia, must now drive at least 10 miles along rural roads to reach the nearest health center, which is also near a regional hospital. A second center is twice as far. The closure of the Franconia center reflects the financial struggles facing community health centers and rural healthcare systems more broadly amid Medicaid cuts and a feared spike in health insurance rates. The government shutdown, which ended in November, was driven by a Democratic demand to extend tax credits, which ensure low- and middle-income people can afford health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, or ACA. Marsha Luce, whose family moved from the Washington, D.C. area in 2000, is especially concerned about the impact on her 72-year-old husband, a former volunteer firefighter who has had an ear and part of his jaw removed due to cancer. He also has heart and memory issues. She worries about longer waits to see his doctor, Dr. Melissa Buddensee, and the loss of relationships built up over decades in Franconia. "I know specifically for Kirk, it’s, it's going to be a harder one because he, he likes dealing with Dr. Buddensee himself.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.