The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” or as I call it, the Big Ugly Law, is a direct attack on healthcare access — especially for Latino communities.
Raul Ruiz, M.D.
U.S. Representative, California’s 25th Congressional District; Member, House Energy and Commerce Committee
This legislation includes nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, removes Affordable Care Act subsidies, and imposes burdens like $35 per service cost-sharing, all of which will lead to over 15 million people losing health coverage. In California, where nearly 20 million Latinos depend on Medicaid, families will see premiums rise by $2,100 under the state exchange, Covered California. Additional red tape, shortened enrollment periods, work requirements, and more eligibility checks will make it even harder for working people to stay covered.
The result? People will go without routine care. Chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, and hypertension will go untreated. Families will delay care until they’re seriously ill, leading to more emergency visits, medical debt, and bankruptcies. It’s bad for patients and unsustainable for our health system.
Worse still, access to care itself will shrink. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 20% of rural hospitals could close. Cuts to hospital funding will eliminate services like pediatrics, mental health, and labor and delivery, with ER closures putting lives at risk. These closures will affect everyone, regardless of insurance status.
Let’s be clear: This law prioritizes tax cuts for billionaires over the health and well-being of working families. It will deepen health disparities and worsen outcomes in communities already underserved.
This is not reform; it’s medical malpractice on a national scale. Backed by Congressional Republicans, this law is a prescription for disaster, especially for Latino families, rural communities, and the working poor. Health policy should be grounded in ensuring access to quality care, not in restricting it — in compassion, not in cruelty.
