WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Dan Newhouse (WA-4) is advocating for rural hospitals to receive the funding they were promised. He is working alongside Representative Michael Baumgartner (WA-5) and other congressional members to ensure equitable distribution of funds.
The group sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator. They are advocating for the fair distribution of funds from the Rural Health Transformation Fund to states with Democrat governors.
Newhouse emphasized the significance of this fund, stating it is the largest investment ever made into rural hospitals. The fund was established as part of the Working Families Tax Cut.
The Rural Health Transformation Program allocates $10 billion annually over five years. Its aim is to empower states to improve health care access in rural communities across the country.
In their letter, the representatives highlighted the importance of fair program implementation. They wrote, “As Republican members of Congress from states with a Democrat governor, we believe it is imperative that the program be implemented fairly so that funding is allocated specifically to rural health care providers rather than diverted to urban centers that do not face the same challenges,” said the representatives.
