By April Rodgers, Freelance Journalist
Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” just passed the Senate on July 1—and while it promises sweeping healthcare changes, it could spell real trouble here at home in Crawford County.
A national report released by U.S. Senate Democrats warns that both Bucyrus Community Hospital and Galion Community Hospital are among 338 rural hospitals labeled “at risk” if the bill’s proposed Medicaid payment changes become law. The data comes from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina and was included in a letter sent to President Trump and Republican leaders.
That warning was echoed in a June 24 article by Cleveland.com, which identified 11 rural hospitals in Ohio facing the highest risk of closure due to the bill’s impact. Both Bucyrus and Galion made that short list—meaning Crawford County is home to two of the most vulnerable hospitals in the entire state.
The concern? The bill would let Medicaid-managed insurance companies pay hospitals less for the care they provide. That might sound like a good way to save money—but in small towns like ours, it could do real harm.
Big city hospitals might absorb those cuts. But smaller ones like Avita—who operate both the Bucyrus and Galion hospitals—run on tight budgets. Every dollar helps keep ERs open, doctors on call, and critical services available close to home.
If those payments go down, hospitals may be forced to cut staff, close departments, or even shut down entirely. That’s not speculation—that’s the warning backed by national data and confirmed by state-level reporting.
In Crawford County, the stakes are especially high:
- These are the only two hospitals in the entire county.
- Galion has the only maternity ward serving a large part of the area.
- If either hospital closes or scales back, patients could be left driving 30 minutes to an hour for emergency care in Marion, Ontario, Mansfield, or Upper Sandusky.
And here’s another layer to the problem: our local ambulance service is already short-staffed. If crews are tied up transporting patients out of the county for care, what happens when a second or third emergency call comes in? The delay in response times could be the difference between life and death.
This bill may promise to “fix” healthcare, but it doesn’t seem to fix it for us.
I’ve reached out to Avita Health System for comment, but as of the time the Senate passed the bill on July 1, I have not heard back. I will continue to monitor for answers.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about whether our community will continue to have access to lifesaving care.
Now is the time to speak up and be heard. Contact your representatives. Demand they protect rural hospitals before it’s too late.
Crawford County can’t afford to be left behind.
Contact Your Elected Officials
If you’re concerned about how this bill could impact local healthcare, reach out to your representatives:
U.S. Senators – Ohio
Sen. Jon Husted (R)
Washington, D.C. Office: SR‑304 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224‑3353
Ohio Offices:
Toledo: 420 Madison Ave, Suite 1210, Toledo, OH 43604 – (567) 304‑3777
Columbus: 37 W Broad St, Suite 300, Columbus, OH 43215 – (614) 369‑4925
Cleveland: 1240 E 9th St, Suite 3061, Cleveland, OH 44199 – (216) 539‑7877
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R)
Washington, D.C. Office: SR‑B33 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224‑2315
Ohio Offices:
Cleveland: 801 W Superior Ave, Suite 1400, Cleveland, OH 44113 – (216) 522‑7272
Columbus: 200 N High St, Room 618, Columbus, OH 43215 – (614) 469‑2083
Cincinnati: 550 Main St, Suite 10‑273, Cincinnati, OH 45202 – (513) 684‑1021
U.S. Representative – Ohio 5th District
Rep. Bob Latta (R)
Washington, D.C. Office: 2470 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225‑6405
District Offices:
Bowling Green: 1045 N Main St, Suite 6, Bowling Green, OH 43402 – (419) 354‑8700
Findlay: 318 Dorney Plaza, Room 302, Findlay, OH 45840 – (419) 422‑7791
Elyria: 226 Middle Ave, 5th Floor, Elyria, OH 44035 – (440) 406‑5010
Toll-Free (Ohio): 800‑541‑6446
Ohio State Legislature
State Senator Bill Reineke (R) – Senate District 26
Office: Senate Building, 1 Capitol Square, 2nd Floor, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 466‑8049
State Representative Riordan McClain (R) – House District 87
Office: 77 South High Street, 14th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 644‑6265
Fax: (614) 719‑6982
