Cuts Hurt: Protecting Healthcare Access

When healthcare budgets are slashed, hospitals and clinics are forced to reduce services, increase wait times, and sometimes shut down entirely. This means delayed diagnoses, untreated conditions, and unnecessary suffering. Rural communities are hit especially hard, with fewer options and greater travel distances just to receive basic medical care.

But the damage doesn’t stop at the hospital door. Public health programs — from mental health initiatives to disease prevention efforts — also shrink or disappear altogether. Vulnerable populations like the elderly, low-income families, and people with disabilities are left behind. Cuts lead to increased emergency room visits, overcrowded facilities, and greater burdens on already strained healthcare workers.

At CutsHurt.org, we work to raise awareness about the real human cost of budget cuts. Our mission is to shine a light on the impact of disinvestment and push for public policies that protect lives, not endanger them. Through personal stories, policy research, and advocacy tools, we aim to equip individuals and communities with the knowledge and power to demand change.

We believe that strong public health systems are the foundation of a just society. When those systems are weakened, we all suffer — but some suffer more than others. That’s why we’re here. Because cuts hurt, and it’s time to stop pretending they don’t.