KFF: Rural Americans Would Lose Medicaid at 3× the Rate of Urban Residents Under H.R. 1 — Central Valley and North State Among Highest-Risk Geographies

A new KFF analysis finds H.R. 1's Medicaid provisions would reduce rural coverage at three times the rate of urban areas — rural populations are more likely to be near eligibility thresholds, less likely to have employer coverage alternatives, and more dependent on FQHCs as their sole provider.

For California, Central Valley (Kern, Tulare, Fresno) and North State counties face the steepest per-capita exposure. The analysis bolsters NACHC's Senate Finance testimony and gives rural FQHCs a powerful third-party data point for Congressional district advocacy.