Barrasso Bill Fixes Unfair Funding Issues for Rural Hospitals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), joined by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), recently introduced bipartisanlegislationto ensure that hospitals caring for large numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients in Wyoming and other rural states receive their fair share of federal funding.
TheFair Funding for Rural Hospitals Actwould establish a nationwide federal funding minimum for disproportionate share hospitals (DSH). Current payment levels are based on a 1992 formula that has seen few updates and has assigned Wyoming the lowest payments of any state by far. In 2023, Wyoming’s DSH funding totaled only $300,000 while the second-lowest state received $11 million.
“Wyoming’s hospitals serve more Medicaid and low-income patients than other states, but our share of funding hasn’t caught up for decades,”said Senator Barrasso.“We’ve been overlooked for our fair share while our rural hospitals fight to keep their doors open. This legislation will fix outdated funding issues for hospitals across Wyoming and rural America.”
“By enabling states to increase payments to hospitals providing uncompensated care, our bill will help more uninsured and low-income people across Hawai‘i access the care they need,”said Senator Schatz.
“I joined my colleagues in introducing the Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act to ensure hospitals receive appropriate support to care for Medicaid and uninsured patients,”said Cramer.“By establishing a new federal floor for rural states like North Dakota, this legislation will support access to care for our state’s most vulnerable patients.”
“Hospitals in rural communities like Vermont are seeing more and more Medicaid and low-income patients. These hospitals provide essential health care services, so it’s crucial they get the support they need,”said Senator Welch.“I am proud to join Senator Barrasso to introduce this bipartisan legislation to provide stable funding for these hospitals to continue to do the important work of serving our most vulnerable patients.”
The Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act:
Full text of the legislation can be foundhere.
###