MEDICAID: Urges and requests the federal government to avoid reductions in Medicaid funding that would adversely affect Louisiana's rural hospitals and the communities they serve.

SR 179 is a Senate resolution urging the federal government to avoid Medicaid funding reductions that would impact Louisiana's 49 rural hospitals. It specifically requests Congress and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reconsider policies following a 2025 Presidential Memorandum that would reduce hospital reimbursements by an estimated $120 million annually (21%). The resolution highlights that these hospitals serve medically underserved rural communities, providing critical care to vulnerable populations like the elderly and chronically ill, and warns that funding cuts could lead to service reductions or closures. As a symbolic resolution - not a law - it expresses Louisiana's position but does not alter federal policy.