US rural health care funding announced

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump and senior health administration officials touted the $50 billion set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill for rural health care during a round table Friday, saying it will transform the care available to rural Americans. Rural health care has long been a concern for lawmakers, as it can be difficult for hospitals and medical centers to maintain patient volumes high enough to remain financially sustainable. Rural populations also tend to be older and lower income, so rural hospitals often see a lot of patients on Medicare or Medicaid, which typically reimburse at lower rates than private insurance. The funding is the largest ever federal investment in rural health care in American history, according to the administration. It has been used to start the Rural Health Transformation Program, which will provide $50 million to states in health care improvement funds over a five-year period, from 2026 to 2030. Fifty percent of the funding is distrib