Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Even the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is concerned about the potential impacts of various cuts that are a part of what’s been called the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” along with other federal cuts.

Senator Dick Durbin went there Friday in Springfield, talking about the effects of Medicare and Medicaid cuts, which — likes others — he has said will negatively impact rural hospitals, health insurance, and other matters.

But, Durbin says, the bill will also hurt medical school students.

“Now, the Trump administration has announced a limitation on student loans for medical school — $50,000 a year, maximum $200,000,” said Durbin.  “It sounds like a mountain of money to us.  But, ask these doctors and medical students what the reality is and what they face.:

Which Durbin says, could be as much as ten times those amounts.  SIU Medicine says that may make medical students want to take out private loans for those amounts, putting them into deep debt.

But, on the other hand, does that mean college or a post-secondary education is just too expensive for most people?

“I think we ought to have that conversation.  I think it’s long overdue,” said Durbin.  “We have discussed making this system of healthcare education services better and more efficient.  I want to be a part of that conversation.”

Durbin and SIU say medical research funding is being cut, too, by about 30 percent, back to $30 billion, where it was at a few years ago, from $48 billion now. And that could have a ripple effect.

“Every federal research dollar generates about two-and-a-half dollars in local economic activity.  Hope for economic prosperity will erode, particularly in rural-serving institutions like SIU and our surrounding communities,” said Dr. Don Torry, Dean of Research, SIU School of Medicine.

Torry says, in other words, it goes back to not being as able to save lives.