Republicans in the big ugly bill could close 35 rural hospitals in Kentucky.

Posted by Real Time with Bill Maher, Oct 24, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictCan’t tell

Sources: 5 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 60%

Real Time with Bill MaherOct 24, 2026

The claim departs from the passage: the post says 'my state' and never names Kentucky, and the surrounding post (Steve Hilton discussing his California race) suggests the speaker is not referring to Kentucky, so the claim cannot be graded as the poster's. Separately, the 35-hospital figure traces to Gov.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What was said

… I come at issues like hunger or healthcare in a very different place than DSA candidates, but we both want people to be able to see a Dr. when they're sick. There's a difference between problem solvers and problem causers, and the Republicans in the big ugly bill could close 35 rural hospitals in my state. No one can see a doctor when that happens. All right, let me read a quote from Daniel Lurie. He's the San Francisco mayor, friend of mine, great guy. …

Real Time with Bill Maher · Oct 24, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Context. The passage never mentions Kentucky; the extraction added that state. The surrounding remarks about a race 'in California' point to a different state than the one the claim names.

Context. Experts told FactCheck.org it is impossible to predict how many rural hospitals might close because of the law, even though it will likely have a significant financial impact.[1]

Context. Barr disputes the 35-hospital figure, arguing the Sheps Center analysis behind it does not clearly identify those hospitals, while Beshear maintains the cuts put 35 Kentucky rural hospitals at risk.[2][3]

Context. The 35-hospital figure dates to a 2025 estimate that Beshear attributed to a policy group drawing on Sheps Center analysis, and coverage describes it as hospitals 'at risk' rather than certain closures.[4][5]