Macon nursing homes may close due to cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill, senator says
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- Five Middle Georgia nursing homes face closure due to Medicaid funding cuts.
- President Trump's bill reduces Medicaid by 15%, impacting 500+ U.S. facilities.
- Sen. Ossoff urges Congress to repeal cuts before closures take effect.
Five Middle Georgia nursing homes may be at risk of closing due to Medicaid cuts in the legislation dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) warned during a Wednesday news conference.
The nursing homes are among the more than 500 nursing homes nationwide that are in danger due to these cuts, according to an analysis Ossoff’s office distributed ahead of the news conference from Brown University’s School of Public Health. Thirty-seven of those facilities are in Georgia.
Among the facilities threatened are Archway Transitional Care Center and Medical Management Health and Rehab Center in Macon, Roberta Health and Rehab in Crawford County, PruittHealth-Monroe in Monroe County and Fort Valley Health and Rehab in Peach County.
What happens if the nursing homes close?
Ossoff said the nursing homes that are in danger are critical to serving low-income and disabled Georgians.
“This puts dozens of nursing homes in Georgia in financial jeopardy,” Ossoff said during the news conference. “We’re talking about seniors, the elders in our community, those who need care, who need support.”
A group of Democratic senators requested the analysis at the end of June, just before Congress voted on President Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill. The bill, which was signed into law on July 4, cuts Medicaid spending by about 15%, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. It amounts to the largest cut to Medicaid in modern history, the outlet said.
The bill also places more stringent work requirements on Medicaid recipients, asking that they present proof of employment. It also makes it easier to lose benefits, and more difficult to re-enroll.
Reducing Medicaid, a government program that provides health insurance to around 75 million low-income Americans, could put millions of people at risk of losing their health insurance, experts warn.
According to data from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of School of Public Policy, the group estimated that about 27% of Bibb County residents were covered by Medicaid. That’s higher than the state average of a little over 19%.
Additionally, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that Medicaid is the primary payer of nursing care in the U.S., covering around 63% of nursing home residents.
Proponents of the Big, Beautiful Bill say the cuts are to prevent fraud and waste. However, experts say there is little evidence for widespread fraud among Medicaid recipients.
Is there any chance they could be saved?
Ossoff said Congress could repeal the provisions in future legislation. He said he expects senators and representatives to look at passing a health care legislative package at the end of this year, which would be an opportunity to re-examine cuts and changes to Medicaid.
“It’s not too late,” Ossoff said. “It’s never too late for Congress to reverse course, and we should.”
Ossoff said cuts to Medicaid are set to take effect over the next 18 to 24 months, but health care providers may already feel the pressure as other government programs that support health and wellbeing see cuts setting in sooner.
“Damage is happening, damage is coming,” Ossoff said.
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 11:23 AM.