Fairness for Iowa Responds to Iowa’s Fast-Approaching Medicaid Cuts

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, Republican cuts to Iowa’s Medicaid program will take effect, putting tens of thousands of Iowans at risk of losing health coverage. 

These harsh cuts, supported by Iowa Republicans, are what Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks voted for in the Republican Tax Law at the federal level, a law that has been widely criticized for its catastrophic impacts on healthcare and the economy. The ripple effects of this law will be felt across Iowa, with rural communities being disproportionately affected due the already strained rural hospital systems facing further destabilization. MercyOne Medical Center in Newton is already at risk of closure due to these cuts, impacting an area already struggling with a lack of medical accessibility. 

"As we approach the new year, Iowans will start to feel the devastating impacts of the Republican Tax Law, which will not only strip healthcare from tens of thousands but also destabilize our rural hospital systems,” Executive Director of Progress Iowa Mazie Stilwell said. “The consequences of this law will be dire, and the closure of the MercyOne Newton Medical Center is just the beginning. It's clear that the GOP's priorities are misplaced when it comes to the well-being of our communities so we ask our representatives to prioritize the health and welfare of Iowans, not line the pockets of corporations and the wealthy.”