Cape News

Congressional Republicans and President Trump have launched the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) as part of new tax cuts for working families. The program aims to improve access to health care in rural communities across Missouri and the United States. States can apply for funding to enhance health care services, delivery systems, and efforts to recruit and retain a rural clinical workforce.

In a letter addressed to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Missouri Department of Social Services Director Jessica Bax, and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Sarah Willson, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) and other members of the Missouri congressional delegation described the ongoing health care challenges in rural areas:

“For the 20 percent of Americans – 60 million in total – that live in rural communities, insufficient access to health care is a daily crisis and contributes to worse health outcomes. These patients are often forced to drive an hour or more for basic medical services and face critical barriers when trying to receive specialized services such as oncology or maternity and obstetric care. The inability to directly and efficiently access care is devastating to rural communities across the country. It is unsurprising that rural patient cancer mortality is 13 percent higher than that of urban patients; that rural maternal mortality is twice as high as urban maternal mortality; and that rural mortality overall is 43 percent higher than urban mortality across natural causes. Access challenges are worsened when rural communities lose these critical service lines, or worse, their entire hospital facilities. Missouri has had 12 rural hospitals close in the past decade, reducing access to care for thousands of Missourians. Nationwide, nearly 200 rural hospitals have closed in that timeframe, while more than 100 rural hospitals have stopped providing maternity services in just the last five years. Nearly 400 rural hospitals have stopped providing chemotherapy services since 2014. We are committed to identifying the root causes of rural America’s health care access problem and engaging in meaningful solutions, such as the RHTP, to improve health care for the 60 million American families that need it most.”

The letter follows an earlier message from Chairman Smith urging U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz to ensure RHTP funds benefit truly rural areas.

Jason Smith has represented Missouri’s 8th district in Congress since replacing Jo Ann Emerson in 2013. He previously served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2005 until his election to Congress. Born in St Louis in 1980, Smith lives in Salem, Missouri. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2001 before earning a law degree from Oklahoma City University in 2004.