Jeff Sollis warns impacts from Medicaid cuts are coming for us all

Rolls of new red tape for Medicaid could hit Teton County’s residents and, ultimately, the financial viability of our independent hospital. St. John’s leader talks with co-host Pete Muldoon in the wake of Congress’ recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Among other things, the Act tightens work documentation for Medicaid with the intent of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. But Sollis says unintended consequences could mean people unable to navigate the new requirements, for example agricultural workers, are less likely to be insured. In the last year, St. John’s saw an uptick of 27% in uncompensated care.Easily treatable infections will become emergencies, which, left unpaid for, will show up in the bills of everyone else. “Is healthcare a right or is it a privilege? Right now we're in contradiction with ourselves,” Sollis says.