VIDEO: Sen. Moran Questions HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. on Bolstering Rural Health Care

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) - a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) - this week questioned Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. on efforts to address health care workforce shortages and bolster rural health providers.

"I have visited every hospital in Kansas numerous times," said Sen. Moran. "The basic bottom line challenge for every hospital I talk to is workforce - the ability to find and hire, to employ. It's more challenging in rural areas, but it's a problem everywhere, and I've tried in this job as a United States Senator over a long period of time to do all the things I know that would be supportive of investments in solving that problem."

Sen. Moran also highlighted the importance of the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, which was established by Congress last year through the Reconciliation Bill.

"Every component, every piece of the puzzle matters in the bottom line of whether or not a hospital has a future, their doors remain open," said Sen. Moran. "One of the things we worked on with your department and with my colleagues was the Rural Health Transformation Program. Kansas has submitted their application. We've received the approval to proceed. We're using our program to expand primary and secondary prevention programs, secure local access to primary care, build a sustainable workforce and enable value-based care and harness data and technology."

During the hearing, Sen. Moran discussed his efforts as part of the bipartisan 340B Working Group, comprised of three Republican senators and three Democratic senators, to find a path forward to reform and sustain the 340B program.

Click HERE to Watch Sen. Moran's Full Remarks

Items to note:

• As a senior appropriator, Sen. Moran secured more than $7 million in federal resources for Kansas rural hospitals and community health centers through FY26 appropriations legislation.
  
  
• Last year, Sen. Moran helped establish the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, which directs the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to work with states to identify the root challenges facing rural health providers and invest in solutions to improve outcomes for struggling providers.
  
  
• • Kansas rural health providers have received $222 million in the first year of the five-year program, one of the highest amounts awarded and exceeded by only five other states.

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