According to the 2023 Navajo County health assessment, which is the most recent one, about 85% of residents, or 89,211 people, have health insurance. Approximately 15%, or 15,074 people, remain uninsured. Of those insured in Navajo County, 46% use private insurance and 56% use public insurance. This means nearly half—about 48%—of all county residents rely on public insurance for their health care.
A major federal health care bill recently passed by Congress and expected to be signed into law is projected to result in the largest cuts ever to Medicaid. According to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the legislation could cause nearly 12 million Americans to lose health insurance coverage by 2034.
The bill would reduce federal spending on Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act by more than $1.1 trillion over the next decade. Over $1 trillion of those cuts would come from Medicaid, a program that provides health coverage for low-income individuals, including many in rural areas such as Navajo County.
The bill also restricts state medical provider taxes; a method many states use to fund Medicaid. These restrictions are expected to save $375 billion but could strain health care providers in rural and underserved areas.
Navajo County’s dispersed population and limited health infrastructure may face increased challenges in maintaining adequate care. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts wrote a letter to President Donald Trump with a list of rural hospitals that might be threatened by the decrease of Medicaid funding and amongst those hospitals was Winslow Memorial Hospital, now known as Little Colorado Medical Center (LCMC). The letter cites the criteria for a hospital making the list as, “The hospital is in the top 10% Medicaid payer mix of rural hospitals across the country, [and] the hospital has experienced three consecutive years of negative total margin.”
Democratic Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego voted against the bill, while Arizona’s second district Republican House Representative Eli Crane voted in favor. This is representative of the total vote being largely amongst party lines.
As the bill moves toward becoming law, many in Navajo County are concerned about the impact the cuts will have on the county’s most common form of health coverage. The Tribune will continue with upcoming coverage on this bill’s impact on the Winslow hospital.
