Fedorchak outlines rural health care priorities for North Dakota during Elgin and Bowman hospital roundtables

Bowman, ND - Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) outlined her priorities for strengthening rural health care across North Dakota during roundtables held at both Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center in Elgin and Southwest Healthcare Services in Bowman. Her agenda focuses on reducing costs and improving access, including extending support for Critical Access Hospitals and Community Health Centers, advancing rural health investments, and addressing the reimbursement and workforce challenges that threaten access to care close to home.

Meeting with hospital leadership and local and state officials, Fedorchak highlighted her newly introduced legislation to extend the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) for five years and North Dakota's nearly $200 million award through the Rural Health Transformation Program.

"Rural hospitals like Jacobson Memorial and Southwest Healthcare are lifelines for the communities they serve, which extend for hundreds of miles in sparsely populated areas like southwest North Dakota," Fedorchak said. "Our providers need practical solutions. That's why I'm focused on: supporting reliable emergency services, expanding access to specialists, helping providers recruit and retain staff, and making federal reimbursement work better for rural communities. These conversations help guide that work so we can keep quality care close to home for North Dakotans."

Fedorchak and Senator John Hoeven introduced legislation to extend FCHIP, which tests flexible Medicare payment models for Critical Access Hospitals in some of the country's most sparsely populated communities. Three North Dakota hospitals participate: Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center in Elgin, McKenzie County Healthcare Systems in Watford City, and Southwest Healthcare Services in Bowman.

The program is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2026. A five-year extension preserves critical flexibilities that help participating hospitals provide additional skilled nursing beds, expand telehealth, and sustain ambulance services. The program aims to improve access and coordination while testing ways to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and Medicare costs.

In Elgin, FCHIP supports advanced life support ambulance services for patients facing cardiac emergencies, trauma, and transfers over long distances. Theteams of EMTs also play key staffing roles at the facility and provide 24/7 coverage. At other participating North Dakota hospitals, the program helps older residents receive nursing care in their home communities and connects patients with specialists through telehealth.

The extension legislation is endorsed by the National Rural Health Association, the North Dakota Hospital Association, and the Montana Hospital Association.

Fedorchak's broader work to strengthen rural health care includes:

• Supporting nearly $200 million for North Dakota's rural health transformation. Fedorchak voted to establish the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program. North Dakota received nearly $199 million for FY2026 to strengthen rural care, support workforce recruitment and retention, and modernize facilities and technology.

• Extending access to telehealth. Fedorchak voted to extend Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027, helping rural North Dakotans connect with providers and specialists without traveling long distances for care.

• Reining in prescription drug middlemen. Fedorchak voted for the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to disclose prescription drug costs, rebates, and fees to employers, helping them negotiate better deals and lower costs for patients.

• Advancing more affordable coverage and greater patient choice. Fedorchak helped introduce the More Affordable Care Act (MACA), legislation that gives states greater flexibility to expand coverage options and allow eligible patients in participating states to use federal assistance through individual health accounts to purchase coverage and pay for care.

• Advocating for greater health care price transparency. Fedorchak supports reforms that give patients the clear information they need to be good health care consumers including information to compare health care costs and quality before receiving care. This includes the Lower Costs Greater Transparency Act, which passed out of her committee in July and awaits full approval of the House.

• Introducing bipartisan legislation to strengthen rural health offices. Fedorchak partnered with Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA) on the State Offices of Rural Health Program Reauthorization Act of 2026. The bill would authorize $13.5 million annually nationwide from FY2027 through FY2032, continuing support for organizations such as UND's Center for Rural Health, which assists rural providers with training, technical assistance, workforce development, and coordination.

• Bringing North Dakota leaders together on rural health investments. Fedorchak regularly hosts roundtables with state and industry leaders to discuss solutions for North Dakota's long-term health care needs.