Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to provide rural hospitals with critical funding to support training, technical support, and equipment to better serve patients.
The Rural Hospital Flexibility Act comes at a time when health facilities across the country – including in rural areas – face major challenges in keeping their doors open. The bill would permanently reauthorize the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility program, which supports Critical Access Hospitals – small, rural hospitals that have fewer than 25 beds and are located either more than 35 miles from the nearest hospital or more than 15 miles in areas with mountainous terrain or only secondary roads. Nevada has 13 Critical Access Hospitals located throughout the state.
“The Rural Hospital Flex program has long helped Nevada’s rural hospitals serve the needs of their communities,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill will allow health care facilities across the Silver State to keep their doors open and ensure that Nevadans in all 17 counties have access to the high-quality, affordable health care they need.”
“At a time when strains on the health care system put at risk the ability of rural health care providers to keep their doors open, it is crucial that we provide hospitals and doctors in rural communities with the support that they need,” said Senator Hassan. “Reauthorizing and modernizing the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility program is a commonsense way to ensure that New Hampshire’s rural hospitals have access to the support, training, and equipment that they need to give Granite Staters the best possible care.”
“The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) applauds Senators Hassan, Barrasso, Cortez Masto, and Blackburn for leading the reintroduction of the Rural Hospital Flexibility Act. NRHA is proud to support this legislation that continues to improve healthcare for rural communities and keep rural hospitals open. This bill will reauthorize the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program, which functions as a lifeline for rural America. Flex plays an integral role in helping Critical Access Hospitals improve their financial status and focus on enhancing quality of care, which supports rural communities’ access to excellent, sustainable healthcare,” said Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association.
“The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) applauds Senator Hassan and her Senate colleagues for introducing this strong bipartisan bill. This bill seeks to provide stability to the FLEX grant program which provides states with funding needed to support Critical Access Hospitals in New Hampshire and all 50 states,” said Tammy Norville, CEO of the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health.
Senator Cortez Masto has consistently fought to ensure all Nevadans, especially in rural communities, have access to high-quality, affordable health care. She has introduced legislation to protect access to ground ambulance medical services and telehealth, both of which are critically important to health care in rural and underserved communities. She cosponsored legislation to support labor and delivery units in rural hospitals. Following the passage of the Republican tax law, she met with rural hospital staff to discuss the impacts of its Medicaid cuts. She has led efforts to lower drug costs for seniors, hold Big Pharma accountable, and expand Medicare drug price negotiation.
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