Senator Carper visits new Milford hospital and raises concerns over healthcare bill

With the American Health Care Act, it appears legislators have few updates on the vote, postponed because of lack of support.

It's not clear when law makers will get back to it.

In Milford, Delaware, 47 ABC caught up with U.S. Senator Tom Carper, as he toured the site for a new hospital called Bayhealth Hospital Sussex Campus.

But Senator Carper made it clear. His agenda Wednesday was more than just exploring these grounds.

He walked reporters through Washington's struggle to agree on a new health care bill.

Carper's main message concerns over Medicaid.

The GOP health care bill proposes cuts, which could slash Delaware's Medicaid funding by $2 billion over ten years.

"The other thing about these deep cuts is it also puts at risk, folks especially the ages between 50-64, older people, lower income people. Their cost of their insurance is going to rise dramatically and not many people focus on that and that's a real factor," Carper tells 47 ABC.

Senator Carper says the proposed cuts could hurt several rural hospitals in Delaware, as well.

Bayhealth's CEO and Executive Director, Terry Murphy, says Carper is a big support of the issue of reduction in Medicaid payments and to have him on their grounds was great.

A spokesperson for Senator Carper tells 47 ABC there is still no timeline in place for a Senate vote on the bill.

As for the new hospital, Bayhealth Hospital is $314 million dollar reinvestment.

There was already an existing campus in Milford, but with a rise of patients in the area, this new campus will provide the proper future care.

We are told this new hospital includes an inpatient facility that's 440,000 square feet.

Over 50% of the jobs are being filled by Delawareans and 50% of the project's materials are from Delaware companies.

We're told they also sold their old location to Nationwide Healthcare. Nationwide plans to build a wellness village, featuring a skilled nursing center and other complementary businesses. Once it is fully occupied, the site is expected to have more than 300 employees.

For the hospital, construction began last year for the newest location and it will be completed by October 2018. They will begin moving in January of 2019.