Unicoi hospital rebuild now in question

As major budget legislation makes it’s way through the nations capital that includes major changes to Medicaid, officials with Ballad Health say the my have to delay construction of the Unicoi County Hospital that was destroyed during Hurricane Helene. And it could affect more rural hospitals in Ballad’s network. Hospital officials across the country also warn of closures and loss of services if the Senate’s deeper Medicaid cuts survive the budget process. Ballad officials say they don’t want to construct a new facility in Unicoi County and have to close it a short time later due to lack of federal Medicaid funding.