In Scranton, a city in northeastern Pennsylvania with a long industrial history, businesses and non-profit organisations are also feeling the strain.
Joseph Hollander, CEO of Scranton Primary Health Center, which provides healthcare regardless of patients’ ability to pay, said rising costs have put pressure on his operations.
“The cost of doing business just keeps increasing – utility costs, supply costs, with the expense of transportation increasing, since so much of what we purchase is from outside the US,” he told CNA.
HEALTHCARE BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Healthcare, an issue that has long divided American politics, is once again taking centre stage.
The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, expanded health insurance coverage to millions of Americans after it was enacted in 2010.
But Trump’s sweeping tax and spending legislation, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, included substantial reductions in projected federal Medicaid spending, while the expiration of enhanced health insurance subsidies has renewed concerns about access to affordable medical care. Medicaid provides healthcare coverage to low-income Americans and other eligible groups, including people with disabilities.
Care worker Wanda Caroll-Russell said the potential consequences extend beyond the vulnerable people who depend on her services, to her own medical bills.
“Some of the medications I take, I won’t be able to handle it if I don’t have healthcare, because that medication is US$800,” she said.
“As for my client, it’s going to hurt him because he will lose access to me and his home. I really think they want us all to die.”
