On the edge of the Upper Valley, a light-colored building at the corner of Roberts Road and Route 4 is a source of hope for many families. Inside this building is the Mascoma Community Health Center, a non-profit healthcare organization, which treats every individual who enters its facility — never turning away patients because of their financial situation or lack of insurance.
Today, I am sorry to learn that the same source of hope is hanging on by a thread, turning to grassroots donations for survival. If Mascoma cannot raise $200,000 to cover initial operating costs, the facility may have no choice but to close.
What we are seeing here in Canaan, Franconia, and rural towns across America, is what happens when there are deep cuts to Medicaid: healthcare providers tread water, clinics close, and families suffer.
Mascoma is not a Federally Qualified Health Center, which means it does not benefit from significantly higher reimbursement rates that help keep the lights on. Its federally qualified, partner agency recently ceased operations — leaving the facility even more exposed to these cuts.
These Medicaid cuts have taken several different forms.
Here in the New Hampshire Legislature, my House Democratic colleagues and I fought for a budget that reflects the needs of working families and helps them access affordable health care. But Governor Ayotte and New Hampshire Republicans focused on pouring taxpayer dollars into an expensive private school voucher program, which in turn meant deep cuts to the programs that Granite Staters rely on, including Medicaid.
Because of Ayotte’s Medicaid cuts, some working families across New Hampshire will soon be on the hook for up to $270 a month in premium costs. A family of three earning just $26,650 is looking at $90 every month just to see the doctor. Adding insult to injury, prescription copays will also now cost them more. And, it is unclear how the more than $50 million in cuts to the back of the Department of Health and Human Services budget will affect working families.
In D.C., President Trump and Republicans enacted the largest Medicaid cuts in U.S. history last year through the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” And despite the bill’s name, there’s nothing “beautiful” about it — unless you’re one of the ultra-rich Americans getting a massive tax break.
While there may be other factors at play, it is no coincidence that HealthFirst Family Care Center — which provided primary care and behavioral health services at the Mascoma facility — announced its decision to end services weeks after signing this disastrous law.
As a result of all this chaos, the entire Upper Valley is going to pay a steep price – both in its population centers and rural outreaches.
I’m left thinking about families like Will’s, whose father drove more than thirty minutes to Mascoma just so he could see the dentist.
Or people like Amy, who was able to see a provider immediately for a medical concern that couldn’t wait.
Will and Amy are only two of the thousands of Granite Staters who will be hurt by healthcare providers closing their doors.
What comes next for Mascoma is uncertain. I hope that the facility can raise the necessary funds to stay open and remain a valued member of our community. However, if Mascoma closes, its displaced patients will not be the only people facing hardship. Soon, the next nearest healthcare center will absorb those patients resulting in longer wait times, lesser reimbursements, and fewer resources for the same services. The ripples worsen the healthcare crisis affecting all of us.
One thing is certain: Mascoma is the canary in the coal mine. A looming healthcare collapse lies just around the corner — driven by Ayotte and Trump’s massive Medicaid cuts, and Republicans’ refusal to extend ACA subsidies that lower the cost of health premiums.
Working Granite Staters should not have to drive hours when their child gets sick or to see a doctor for a check-up. New Hampshire families deserve affordable care in their own community. I promise to do whatever I can in Concord — despite what Republicans throw our way in 2026 — to stabilize our healthcare system and to provide more sources of hope across the Granite State.
Rep. Mary Hakken-Phillips represents Grafton 12 in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. She lives in Hanover.