West Virginia Rural Health Fund may fall short of federal health care cuts

West Virginia officials have submitted an application for the federal Rural Health Transformation Fund, which could provide the state with more than $100 million annually over the next five years to bolster rural health care, reports WTAP. However, analysts say that the temporary funding dwarfs the $1 billion per year in federal Medicaid cuts the state is projected to face under the same legislation that created the fund, leaving a large shortfall in support for hospitals and care systems. Critics also question whether residents who lose health coverage due to cuts to Medicaid and marketplace affordability will be able to benefit from proposed rural health initiatives. The plan now awaits approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, with awards expected to be announced by year’s end.