Wyden, Merkley Lead Effort to Extend Legislation Improving Healthcare Access and Financial Stability in Remote Areas

Wyden, Merkley Lead Effort to Extend Legislation Improving Healthcare Access and Financial Stability in Remote Areas May 5, 2026 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have introduced legislation that would extend the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD) for five years. The program improves financial stability for rural hospitals by paying the reasonable costs of Medicare inpatient services – including meals, rooms, and nurse care – to prevent hospital closures and maintain critical healthcare access. “Rural communities in Oregon and throughout America need and deserve access to quality health care,” said Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. “This proven program has bipartisan support because it works to help provide that care for rural families and to support rural economies.” “Rural communities face unique hurdles in providing and accessing basic health care, which is why we must fight to preserve the programs that support care for these families,” Merkley said. “As rural hospitals in Oregon and across the nation face even more challenges, our bipartisan effort will protect funding for rural hospitals nationwide, ensuring Oregonians in all corners of our state can access the care they need and deserve.” In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the bipartisan legislation is led by U.S. Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and co-sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), as well as Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Angus King (I-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). Text of the bill is here . ###