At a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee this morning, several Members of Congress questioned Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the President's Budget Proposal for federal fiscal year 2015. Members from both parties expressed concern about parts of the President's Budget that would adversely affect rural hospitals. Specifically, proposals related to cuts to Critical Access Hospitals were voiced. While Secretary Sebelius did not directly address the specific cuts proposed, she did voice concern for rural health care and rural patients throughout the nation and promise to work with Committee Members to find rural solutions. Secretary Sebelius also spoke to the expansion of the National Health Service Corps and the Administration's hope that this expansion will help rural patients access more health care providers.
NRHA thanks the bipartisan leaders on the Ways and Means Committee for their continued support of rural health care. More information on the hearing is available
here. Please contact NRHA Government Affairs Staff at (202) 639-0550 with any questions.