FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., on Wednesday introduced new legislation aimed at combating America’s rural healthcare crisis, telling Fox News Digital that Congress must intervene to keep rural emergency rooms open.
„Americans in rural communities across the country are confronted with a concerning shortage of access to emergency medical care,“ Hawley said. „In Missouri alone, 12 rural hospitals with emergency rooms have closed in as many years, and those that remain open are struggling to keep the lights on.
„Congress must act swiftly to protect the necessary emergency care hardworking rural families deserve.“
Hawley’s comments come as he pushes the Rural Hospital Emergency Room Guarantee Act, legislation aimed at saving rural hospitals from closing at a „breakneck pace.“
Since 2005, nearly 200 rural hospitals have shut down nationwide, a trend that is creating „widespread emergency-room deserts“ and forcing some residents to drive an hour or more just to reach lifesaving emergency care, according to the senator’s office.
The situation is particularly dire in Hawley’s home state of Missouri, where 12 rural hospitals with emergency rooms have closed since 2014.
Records show that nearly half of all rural hospitals in Missouri currently operate at a loss, with 10 hospitals, or roughly 20%, at „immediate risk of closure.“
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To keep the lights on and emergency room doors open, the proposed legislation would establish a mandatory, 10-year dedicated funding stream administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, according to the senator’s office.
If the bill were to pass, eligible rural hospitals would receive a guaranteed baseline distribution of $1 million per year to cover normal emergency room operating expenses, which would be distributed on a quarterly basis and indexed for inflation, along with additional funding depending on a hospital’s specific geographical, financial and patient-injury characteristics.
Participating rural hospitals facing an immediate risk of closure would also receive a one-time emergency payment of up to $250,000.
The senator’s office noted affected hospitals receiving the new guaranteed funding will not face negative impacts on their eligibility for any other federal healthcare programs, designations or grants.
Hawley is expected to announce the Rural Hospital Emergency Room Guarantee Act at a news conference scheduled for 3 p.m. ET Wednesday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
EXCLUSIVE: Hawley pushes new legislation to save rural emergency rooms from ‘breakneck’ closures 2026 IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2025 2026-06-24 18:59:13 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
