The White House proposal that was released today calls for reducing the nation’s debt by $3 trillion over the next ten years. The deficit reduction plan puts forth significant reductions in Medicare and Medicaid spending that will drastically impact rural healthcare providers and communities, including lowering Critical Access Hospital (CAH) reimbursement, eliminating CAH designation for any facility within 10 miles of another hospital, lowering the federal matching rate for Medicaid to the states, and reducing the Medicaid Hospital Provider Fee. As Congress moves forward with deficit reduction activities in the coming weeks, this proposal will be under consideration. Members of Congress need to hear from their constituents about the impact these cuts will have on rural providers and access to care in rural communities. CRHC will be providing additional information, resources, and opportunities to communicate with your elected officials in the coming days. Read NRHA's response to the White House proposal.
