NASHUA – One month after President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1 into law, administrators at St. Joseph Hospital are leery of what lies ahead.
The U.S. Senate voted 51-50 on July 1 to approve the 887-page bill with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote. Two days later, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-212 to send the bill to the Oval Office. Trump signed the Big Beautiful Bill into law on the Fourth of July.
H.R. 1 is expected to cut Medicaid by $880 billion by 2034 and put 15 million Americans at risk of losing healthcare coverage – a figure that rivals the population of New England. In Nashua alone, there are 16,778 residents who rely on Medicaid, many of whom are children. H.R. 1 is also projected to add $3 trillion to the National Debt during the next 10 years. According to the National Debt Clock, America’s debt is currently the highest in the world at $37.1 trillion.
During the Aug. 4 meeting, St. Joseph President John Jurczyk said one of the top concerns is the possible elimination of the 340B Drug Pricing Program. Established in 1992, the purpose of the program has been to “improve access to care for low-income and uninsured patients at safety-net hospitals and clinics.”
Jurczyk also said the hospital’s status as a nonprofit organization could be in jeopardy.
“These are things that worry us,” he said.
Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) and Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH) both voted in opposition of H.R. 1.
“It’s unprecedented, we’ve never seen anything like it,” said Goodlander. “There are huge seismic changes that we’re up against.”
Pappas said the new law could trigger half a trillion dollars in uncompensated care.
“A lot of the burden is going to fall on the states,” he said.
Although the GOP currently controls the House and the Senate, Pappas said he and Goodlander will stay the course and continue the fight.
“We’re going to do everything we possibly can,” he said.
In addition, Jurczyk said the hospital has seen an influx of Medicaid patients following the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center last August. Therefore, the hospital is working to establish a full ambulatory hub in Milford.
“We continue to invest in the Milford market,” he said.
