Rural Nebraska Hospital Shuts Down Over 'Anticipated Cuts to Medicaid' Hours Before 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Passes

A small town clinic in southwest Nebraska will close its doors after more than three decades, citing financial strain and looming federal cuts to Medicaid.

Community Hospital in McCook announced Wednesday that it will be shutting down the Curtis Medical Center in Curtis — a community of roughly 900 residents. The announcement, reported by KLKN-TV, came just before Congress passed President Donald Trump's sweeping "Big Beautiful Bill" on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, the current financial environment, driven by anticipated federal budget cuts to Medicaid, has made it impossible for us to continue operating all of our services, many of which have faced significant financial challenges for years," Community Hospital CEO Troy Bruntz said in a statement obtained by the outlet.

The clinic, whose motto is, "Advanced care. Always there," will phase out operations over the coming months.

Despite representing Vermont, Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke out about the hospital's closure, warning that it will likely be "the first of many" due to the estimated Medicaid cuts included in the tax and spending bill.

"While Republicans celebrate the passage of the largest Medicaid cut in history, the Curtis Medical Center in Nebraska announced it will shut down as a result of these horrific cuts — the first of many hospitals to close," Sanders said.

"This is a dark day for rural America and for our country," he continued.

The Nebraska Hospital Association and other rural health advocates have sounded alarms about the bill's potential impact, warning it could force more clinics and hospitals in underserved areas to cut services or close.