DES MOINES — Reps. Cindy Axne and Abby Finkenauer have regularly offered generalizations and few specifics on their health care plans, but they have both repeatedly embraced adding a public option. Several 2020 Democrats, including current frontrunner Joe Biden, have also embraced the public option.

Adding a public option would bring major changes to our current system and completely overhaul Medicare. If Axne and Finkenauer succeed in making this radical Medicare change, a recent analysis found 52 of Iowa’s rural hospitals would be at risk of closing.

Their proposal would place a $476 million burden on rural hospitals, posing a catastrophic financial challenge that would likely result in bankruptcy. Rural hospitals across the country could lose up to $25.6 billion in revenue if congressional Democrats like Axne and Finkenauer — as well as several Democratic presidential candidates — succeed in their quest to end Medicare as we know it.

“Reps. Axne and Finkenauer continue marching in lockstep with extremist Democratic candidates whose government-run health care proposals will bankrupt our country and put the only health care facilities for rural Iowans completely out of business.  This is just the latest proof that they don’t have what it takes to stand up for Iowans against their party bosses in Washington.” — Iowa GOP Spokesman Aaron Britt

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