Congressman Davis and NC Lawmakers Support Rural Healthcare

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Don Davis (NC-01) led members of the North Carolina congressional delegation in a letter to Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), expressing strong support for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) application.

"Approving North Carolina's application for the RHTP is a critical step in improving health outcomes for the nearly three million rural North Carolinians who call our state home," said Congressman Don Davis.

Twelve rural hospitals in North Carolina have closed, including seven in eastern North Carolina, since 2006. An RHTP investment will improve health outcomes and access for nearly three million rural North Carolinians, advancing innovative care models, transforming the rural care experience, and creating a sustainable rural delivery system.

"While our state's application requested a funding amount equal to 2 percent of total RHTP dollars available, North Carolina accounts for 7.6 percent of the rural population nationwide, so we are requesting that CMS allocate additional dollars so that the total funding amount is proportional to the disproportionately large rural population in our state," the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Administrator Oz.

"An RHTP investment will improve health outcomes and access for nearly three million rural North Carolinians, advancing innovative care models, transforming the rural care experience, and creating a sustainable rural delivery system. By FY2031, NCRHTP aims to increase rural provider-to-population ratios, reduce preventable hospital readmissions and emergency visits, lower chronic disease risk factors, and expand access to integrated behavioral, mental health, and substance use services. Locally governed, community-tailored networks will connect medical, behavioral, and social services, making it easier for rural residents to access comprehensive care in one place," the lawmakers continued.

Congressman Davis was joined by North Carolina Senators Thom Tillis, Ted Budd, and Representatives Deborah Ross (NC-02), Greg Murphy (NC-03), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Addison McDowell (NC-06), David Rouzer (NC-07), Richard Hudson (NC-09), Alma Adams (NC-12), and Tim Moore (NC-14).

The full letter can be found HERE.