States and rural health advocacy groups are sounding the alarm that Congress’ slashing of Medicaid will devastate already financially fragile rural hospitals

A Republican megabill cuts $1 trillion from Medicaid, risking closures for hospitals that serve some of America’s most vulnerable. Rural hospitals in the U.S. already operate on a razor’s edge, but new cuts to Medicaid in the Republican appropriations bill could tip many of them into failure.

The bill includes stronger restrictions on Medicaid, which provides health care coverage to over 70 million low-income and disabled Americans, including 1.72 million Coloradans.

Supporters of the sweeping tax and spending legislation that Congress has sent to President Donald Trump say the changes to Medicaid, food aid and other programs will encourage personal responsibility and halt those scamming the system.

Millions will lose Medicaid coverage, hospitals’ uncompensated work will increase and insurers will lose big business.