Leaders and board members from 10 of our rural hospitals and health systems traveled to D.C. last week for Rural Advocacy Days. This annual event is an important opportunity for our rural members to build relationships with our congressional delegation while advocating on important issues like access to care and payment for rural hospitals. We met with Sens. Murray and Cantwell and seven members of Congress to discuss our concerns about current surprise billing legislation, needed investments in workforce and the need to preserve access to care.
During the trip, we also met with staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) about their plans for a new rural payment model. We expect a new community-focused voluntary opportunity will be announced by CMMI in the next month. During the discussion, hospital leaders were able share the challenges they face to serve their rural communities.
These visits to D.C. demonstrate our members commitment to advocate on behalf of their communities. Our congressional delegation shared their appreciation for in-person visits to their offices. Thank you to those who took the time to make the trip. If you would like to join us next year for Rural Advocacy Days or for our spring congressional visits, I would be happy to add you to the list!
