CEO Update: Will Travel for Rural Health
Travel! Normally I love to talk about travel and the amazing places I get to see but this year has been a bit different. I’ve been traveling but mostly to DC to advocate on behalf of rural health facilities and providers in Colorado and nationally. Some fun facts: Jose Andres has some amazing restaurants in DC including one of my favorites, Oyamel, which has excellent tableside guacamole. Yotel is a micro hotel and your bathroom has separate doors that open into your hallway so make sure you are traveling by yourself or with your partner. And I’ve walked over 15,000 steps in one day, making Hill visits with either the staffers or Colorado policy makers and, as part of my NRHA President role, a meeting with the Federal Democrat Delegation, HHS Secretary Kennedy, and CMS Administrator Dr. Oz.
While visiting with policy makers, CRHC discussed the importance of the federal grants and programs that CRHC leads – the SORH, FLEX and SHIP programs – Medicaid coverage, and the importance of healthcare in rural communities. Read more here.
While we are grateful for the inclusion of the Rural Transformation funds that were included in the OBBBA, this by no means replaces the cuts from this bill that are coming soon.
The Colorado Rural Health Center, as your State Office of Rural Health, has been partnering and hosting meetings to gather rural facilities’ ideas and thoughts on what should be included in the “Rural Health Transformation Program” (OBBBA, H.R. 1, Sec. 71401). While we are deeply concerned with the spending reductions and cuts made in the budget reconciliation bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on July 4th, the Rural Health Fund includes $50 billion for states to apply to within approximately two months and awards are to be announced by the end of the year.
Each state must apply for funds, and it is a one-time application for the whole 5-year program. Applications will be made to CMS. CMS must approve or deny all applications by December 31, 2025.
The allowable uses of the funds are listed below and states must prioritize and select a minimum of three areas.
- Promoting evidence-based interventions to improve prevention/chronic disease mgmt.
- Payments to providers
- Promoting technology driven solutions for prevention and mgmt.
- Training/TA for developing and adopting technology-enabled solutions that improve care delivery in rural hospitals
- Recruiting and retaining clinical staff to rural areas with 5-year obligation to stay
- TA, software, hardware for significant tech advances to improve efficiency, cybersecurity, patient outcomes
- Assisting rural communities to right size health care delivery by identifying needed services, facilities, etc.
- Supporting access to OUD/SUD treatment
- Projects that support value-based care
- Additional uses “designed to promote sustainable access to high quality rural health care services” as determined by CMS Administrator
For more information about cuts how Medicaid cuts will impact rural Colorado and as well as the Rural Health Transformation Program, visit CRHC’s website here: https://coruralhealth.org/medicaid-cuts
