BRATTLEBORO, VT — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, this week visited with nurses and leaders at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s Birthing Center. Senator Welch discussed the importance of increasing access to rural health care and how to grow the health care workforce in rural communities.  

“Rural hospitals provide essential health care and community services to Vermonters in every corner of our state. That includes birthing centers, which are vital to ensuring families have world-class care they can rely on. But our state’s rural health care facilities are under more financial strain than ever, making it harder for them to keep the lights on and ensure Vermonters can get the care they need,” said Senator Welch. “I’ll keep fighting in the Senate Finance Committee for investments that support Vermont’s rural medical and community centers and bolster our state’s health care workforce.” 

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital previously announced that the Birthing Center would close within a year but reversed the decision.           

President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ tax bill, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), imposed painful cuts to Medicaid that hindered access to care in rural communities. Limiting coverage will lead to more uncompensated care next year. Nearly 1-in-5 rural adults and 2-in-5 rural children rely on Medicaid. Vermont could lose up to $2 billion over 10 years because of federal Medicaid cuts.  

Additionally, in 2026, around 7,500 Vermonters either bought a lower-tiered insurance plan or dropped coverage altogether because President Trump and Congressional Republicans failed to extend the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, a more generous version of what originally passed in the Affordable Care Act. The impacts of these cuts mean rural care providers will be financially harmed, and services—such as birthing centers—could be limited or eliminated entirely. 

Senator Welch is a champion for rural health care and has worked across the aisle to lead legislation to improve access to care, including the Rural Hospital Support Act, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act, Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act, Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act, Multigenerational Home Caregiver Credit Act, and theCONNECT  for Health Act. 

###

View a digital version of this release.