Medicaid cuts would hit rural residents, healthcare hard

By Reed Anfinson
And Minnesota Public Radio
A budget bill approved by the U.S. House could have a devastating impact on families and their healthcare providers in rural Minnesota if approved by the Senate.
One-quarter to nearly one-third of residents in west central Minnesota counties use Medicaid for their health insurance coverage.
In Swift County, the average monthly Medicaid enrollment for 2023 represented 27.4% of its residents. That is the last year for which Minnesota Department of Health Medicaid data is posted.
In Pope County, 23.7% of the residents use Medicaid, in Stevens County 21.3%, and in Chippewa County 32.9%.
In Swift County, 51.1% of those on Medicaid are newborns to those 19 years of age. In Pope County 45.6% are 0 to 19 years and in Stevens County they make up 36.7% of the population. In Chippewa County 58.6% of those using Medicaid are new infants to those 19 years old.
In the 7th Congressional District, which includes all the counties listed below, Rep. Michelle Fischbach joined Minnesota’s other three U.S. representatives in voting for the budget bill. Reps. Tom Emmer, R-6th District; Brad Finstad, R-1st District; and Pete Stauber, R-8th District, also voted for it.
In the 7th District 23.4% of the residents were on Medicaid in 2023.
Stauber’s district includes much of the northeastern quarter of Minnesota while Finstad’s district is in the agricultural southern part of the state. Stauber, Fischbach, and Finstad’s districts are all in heavily rural areas where there is a higher percentage of people on Medicaid.
Minnesota Democrats District 2’s Rep. Angie Craig, District 3’s Kelly Morrison, District 4’s Betty McCollum, and District 5’s Ilhan Omar, all with populations either in or tied to the Twin Cities area voted against the budget bill.

Area Medicaid Enrollment 2023

    All Ages        0 to 19 years
County    No.    %    No.    %
Swift    2,665    27.4%    1,233    51.1%
Pope    2,705    23.7%    1,231    45.6%
Stevens     2,074    21.3%    1,019    36.7%
Big Stone    1,520    29.8%    656    54.0%
Chippewa    4,004    32.9%    1,929    58.6%
Grant    1,671    27.2%    792    51.0%
Lac qui Parle    1,743    26.3%    802    51.5%
Traverse    1,039    33.1%    459    63.3%
7th Congressional District    23.4%
Republicans have majorities in the U.S. House, the Senate, and have a president in Donald Trump is who is pushing for the bill’s passage. However, Republicans in the Senate are not all behind the bill.
Many rural Minnesotans use Medicare for their health coverage because it has a high percentage of older residents. However, rural Minnesota also has a high number of poorer residents as well who qualify for Medicaid because of their low income.

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