Rep. Somani Acknowledges New Funding for Rural Health, Still Insufficient in Wake of Federal Healthcare Cuts

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today recognized the newly-announced $200M grant from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This program was established due to the federal government slashing Medicaid spending by $911B nationwide and by $33B in Ohio. 

“Ohio’s rural communities have long suffered from a lack of funding for healthcare services. Several rural communities are already health care deserts while other communities have hospitals and clinics which are on the brink of closure. 

The Rural Health Transformation Program, which attempts to address the Trump Administration’s $33B cut to Medicaid services in Ohio, states that its goal is to expand healthcare services to those in need.  Unfortunately, the initial cuts are catastrophic, and it will be difficult to maintain the current levels of care let alone expand care. 

The RHTP’s $200M award, while appreciated, is equivalent to treating a severed artery with a bandage. These funds will not stop the bleeding caused by other federal cuts, and any attempt to imply otherwise is misleading. Unless the federal government reverses these cuts to Medicaid and other services, no grant can undo the damage that Ohioans will face,” said Rep. Somani.

Before this year, nearly three-quarters of Ohio’s rural hospitals were operating without any margin for error, and at least eleven are at risk of closing outright. Though the total of the grant exceeds $200M, CMS guidelines will only allow Ohio to spend 15% of the funds on payments to health providers, which includes at-risk rural hospitals.