ICYMI: Miller-Meeks Brings Dr. Oz To Defend Medicaid Cuts

Miller-Meeks and Dr. Oz double down on Medicaid cuts as Iowa families face losing coverage, providers sound the alarm, and rural health care faces growing strain

IOWA CITY, IA — As Iowa hospitals face closures and cuts to services, providers sound the alarm, and families struggle to afford care, Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks spent last week defending the largest Medicaid cuts in history alongside Dr. Oz.

During a visit to Iowa City, Miller-Meeks and Trump’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Oz dismissed growing concerns from providers and patients about the consequences of nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts, arguing instead that the program is being “strengthened.”

Meanwhile, Iowa families are experiencing something very different.

Hospitals and clinics across Iowa have already announced closures, layoffs, service reductions, and staffing cuts as health systems struggle with mounting financial pressure. Providers have repeatedly warned that cuts to Medicaid will force hospitals already operating on razor-thin margins to absorb more uncompensated care while serving more uninsured patients.

Last year, Miller-Meeks voted for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, putting coverage at risk for tens of thousands of Iowans while simultaneously supporting tax breaks for wealthy corporations and billionaires. She also voted to allow Affordable Care Act tax credits to expire, causing health insurance costs to skyrocket for working families across Iowa.

“Rep. Miller-Meeks can call this whatever she wants, but Iowa families know what they’re experiencing,” said Bill from Clinton. “People are losing coverage. Hospitals are cutting services. Clinics are closing. Families are driving farther, waiting longer, and paying more. These aren’t hypotheticals. These are the consequences of the votes Mariannette Miller-Meeks made.”

Rather than acknowledge the growing crisis, Miller-Meeks blamed current closures on hospital struggles that existed before the cuts. 

That response has only deepened frustration among providers and advocates.

“If hospitals were already struggling, why would you vote to make things worse?” said Mazie Stilwell, Executive Director of Progress Iowa. “If rural communities already lacked providers, why would you vote to cut funding that keeps care accessible? Rep. Miller-Meeks knew Iowans were hurting and she voted for Medicaid cuts to fund tax breaks for billionaires anyway.”

While Miller-Meeks toured one of Iowa’s premier medical facilities alongside Dr. Oz, many communities across the state face a different reality: fewer providers, longer drives for care, rising costs, and growing uncertainty about whether care will still be available when they need it.