At RiverValley Behavioral Health, we are more than a provider. We are a place of healing, a source of hope, and a lifeline for thousands of children, adults and families throughout western Kentucky and beyond.
With heavy hearts, we face the reality that the cuts to Medicaid and the Hospital Rate Improvement Program (HRIP), passed by Congress on July 3, 2025, could dismantle the essential care infrastructure our communities rely on.
These cuts would mean:
- Children in crisis could lose access to inpatient psychiatric care
- People battling substance use may be turned away from life-saving treatment
- Families supporting loved ones with autism or disabilities may lose essential therapies and support services
- Survivors of trauma may be left without counseling or care
- Individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, or mental illness may fall through the cracks
- Many Kentucky hospitals may face closure, putting access to critical care at risk.
- Hospitals not facing closure may be overwhelmed by rising demand and heavier workloads.
This is not a matter of politics. It is a matter of people in need. Our work is grounded in a simple truth: whether rooted in faith or shared humanity, we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. Proposed cuts affect individuals and families who are most vulnerable and in urgent need of care and support.
At RiverValley, we do not engage in divisive rhetoric, and we choose collaboration over conflict, working with all willing members of Congress and elected officials to invest in the well-being of our communities, regardless of political party. Some of the most transformative advancements in behavioral health, including the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) model and many of the innovative programs we’ve launched in recent years, were made possible through bipartisan, collaborative leadership. That same spirit of partnership and shared purpose is what we need now more than ever.
We also want to be clear that we deeply value and respect the healthcare workforce that makes this care possible. Cuts to Medicaid and HRIP not only endanger vital services; they devalue the essential work performed by our therapists, nurses, physicians, peer support specialists, and frontline staff.
These professionals deliver lifesaving care every day. Reducing funding threatens their jobs, creates anxiety across the workforce, and undermines the stability of our healthcare system at a time when our communities need it most.
Medicaid-funded services are the foundation of recovery. They help children stay in school, keep adults in the workforce, and hold families together. Our services prevent suicides. They reduce hospitalizations. They don’t just change lives; they save them. That’s why we stand firmly in support of these services, and the people who depend on them and provide them every day.
We join organizations across Kentucky in urging our representatives to act swiftly to undo these harmful cuts and preserve Medicaid funding and HRIP funding at the average commercial rate.
RiverValley Behavioral Health will maintain our commitment to our patients and their families, our staff, and our community partners to advocate for a system that prioritizes care, compassion, access, and the well-being of all.
While proposed Medicaid cuts may appear to save money in the short term, the long-term consequences will be far more costly. Denying individuals access to timely, preventive, and essential care leads to worsening health outcomes, increased emergency room visits, and greater strain on hospitals and community resources. In the end, we all pay the price when care is delayed or denied.
Please take a moment to contact your representatives and share your concerns. Though the bill has passed, your voice still matters. Contact your representatives and let them know cuts to Medicaid and HRIP have real consequences. These programs must be protected.
Published on July 3, 2025