Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Benefit Rural Hospitals and Physician Teaching Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Dan Meuser (R-PA) and Congresswoman Susan Wild (D-PA), reintroduced the bipartisan Fairness for Rural Teaching Hospitals Act, which would update calculations used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that rural teaching hospitals receive a fairer reimbursement.

Rural teaching hospitals that would benefit from this bill include St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital in Rep. Meuser’s district and St. Luke’s Easton Campus in Rep. Wild’s district, as well as 12 other rural hospitals across the country. They were joined by Congressman John Moolenaar (R-MI) in introducing this bill.

“It’s imperative that our rural hospitals are not deprived of the funding needed to continue offering essential health care services in their communities,” said Rep. Dan Meuser. “It’s also vital that teaching hospitals receive reimbursements that empower them to continue and expand their programs. Rural teaching hospitals should not be penalized forproviding care to those most in need while educating the next generation of health care workers.”

“Rural hospitals are critically important to the communities they serve and often face simultaneous challenges of keeping their doors open and attracting health care providers. That's why I'm working with Rep. Meuser on the Fairness for Rural Teaching Hospitals Act," said Rep. Susan Wild. "This bill ensures hospitals receive appropriate reimbursement rates so they can continue to teach and train the next generation of rural health care workers."

“With the significant growth of our aging population and the physician shortage already impacting our country, it’s even more critical that Medicare-dependent, rural hospitals offer physician training programs to secure resources for the future. The current GME MDH calculation not only disincentivizes hospitals from making this investment but makes it nearly impossible to do so in any sustainable way,” said Wendy Lazo, President, St. Luke’s Miners Campus.

Additional background information on the legislation can be found here, and text of the legislation can be found here.

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