HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) - The Kentucky Democratic Party made its first stop in Perry County Thursday for its new “Medicaid Defense Tour,” aimed at raising awareness about how recent federal budget changes could impact healthcare in rural communities.

Party leaders and healthcare advocates gathered at Hazard Community and Technical College, where they said the changes could reduce coverage for thousands of Kentuckians and put rural hospitals at risk of closing.

Perry County was chosen as the starting point because roughly 51% of its residents are enrolled in Medicaid.

“These cuts are not fiction, they are fact and they will be devastating for people in Hazard and in communities across Kentucky,” said Nat Turner, Communications Director for the Kentucky Democratic Party.

Perry County Democrat

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