DNC Director of Outreach Communications Tracy King released the following statement: 

“Donald Trump’s dream of killing the Affordable Care Act and gutting Medicare and Social Security would be a nightmare for rural communities across the United States. If Trump had his way, millions of rural Americans would lose their health care gained under the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. President Biden knows that rural Americans have historically had a harder time accessing the care they need, and he’s taken historic action to correct that – providing billions of dollars in funding to support rural health care providers, lowering prescription drug costs, including capping the cost of insulin at $35 per month for seniors, and providing incentives to states to expand Medicaid. President Biden will continue to fight for rural Americans and will always defend their health care from Trump and his MAGA Republicans who want to take it away.” 

The Biden-Harris administration continues to strengthen and improve health care access in rural communities, providing billions in funding to support rural health care providers.

KFF: “In addition, $7.5 billion of $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) rural funds were distributed to hospitals and other providers that serve patients living in rural areas; the remaining $1 billion in rural funds is expected to be distributed in early 2022.” 

Healthcare Finance: “As part of the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will make $1 billion available to strengthen the COVID-19 response and vaccination efforts in rural communities.  The initiative means that the Health Resources and Services Administration, a part of the HHS, will increase the number of vaccines sent to rural communities, expand testing and other COVID-19 prevention services, and work to increase vaccine confidence by partnering with local voices and community organizations.  HRSA’s Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Program will provide $460 million to more than 4,600 rural health clinics (RHCs) across the country.

“HRSA’s Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Program will provide $460 million to more than 4,600 rural health clinics (RHCs) across the country.” 

Washington Post: “The Biden administration on Monday announced $1.5 billion in funding to help eliminate the shortage of doctors and nurses in underserved communities by providing scholarships and repaying the student loans of providers who work in medically needy areas.

“The money, made available through the American Rescue Plan, will be able to support nearly 23,000 providers through the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps, according to the White House.”

Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, millions of rural Americans are benefiting from President Biden’s efforts to lower prescription drug costs and strengthen the Affordable Care Act.

White House Fact Sheet: ​​“About 281,000 rural Part D Medicare enrollees would have benefitted from the $35 insulin cap if it had been in effect in 2020, and about 481,000 rural enrollees would have benefitted from $0 recommended adult vaccines if it had been in effect in 2021.”

White House Fact Sheet: “About 289,000 rural enrollees are projected to save $1,000 or more when the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap goes into effect in 2025. Nearly 3 million rural Americans signed up for 2024 coverage at the Affordable Care Act’s HealthCare.gov Marketplace.” 

White House Fact Sheet: “Nearly 3 million rural Americans signed up for 2024 coverage at the Affordable Care Act’s HealthCare.gov Marketplace.” 

Trump’s push to terminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate rural access to health care.

Trump: “The cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good Healthcare. I’m seriously looking at alternatives. We had a couple of Republican Senators who campaigned for 6 years against it, and then raised their hands not to terminate it. It was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up!”

CPBB: “House-Passed Bill Would Devastate Health Care in Rural America”

“The harmful effects would be particularly severe in rural America. Medicaid has long played an even larger role in providing health coverage and paying for care in rural areas than in urban areas. Medicaid’s importance to rural America has only grown under the ACA. Nearly 1.7 million rural Americans have newly gained coverage through the Medicaid expansion. In at least eight expansion states, more than one-third of expansion enrollees live in rural areas: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and West Virginia.”

Washington Post: “Trump proposes $4.8 trillion election-year budget with big domestic cuts”

“The budget would cut Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program and also wring savings from Medicare despite Trump’s repeated promises to safeguard Medicare and Social Security.

“The budget cuts Medicaid spending by about $920 billion over 10 years, a change Democrats and administration critics warn would lead to reductions in benefits and the number of people on the health care program.”