Joco Today

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), has expressed support for the Trump Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz following the release of details on how states can apply for a $50 billion rural health transformation program. This initiative is part of The One Big, Beautiful Bill, also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

Senator Marshall highlighted his experience in rural healthcare and his involvement in shaping the new fund as a member of the Senate Finance Committee. "As the only person on Capitol Hill who has run a rural hospital, I know this better than anyone, the unique challenges facing both rural healthcare systems and the people who rely on them," said Senator Marshall. "It’s why I worked closely with the Trump Administration as a member of the Senate Finance Committee to help shape and craft the rural health fund to be one that modernizes and adapts to the changes in rural communities and to improve services, quality of care, measurement of, and analysis of healthcare outcomes."

Currently, only 7% of Medicaid hospital spending goes to rural hospitals. Rural healthcare infrastructure has been declining at a faster rate compared to urban areas, despite higher rates of chronic disease in these communities. Since 2010, about 150 rural hospitals have closed or changed into other types of facilities.

The new $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund aims to address these issues by shifting from an urban-focused system toward one designed to support long-term success in rural America.