Missouri’s governor is praising the state’s lengthy application for the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) plan to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Governor Mike Kehoe (R) appeared live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Missouri”, telling listeners that Missouri has a bold plan for rural healthcare. Governor Kehoe also says the Trump administration is focusing on strengthening rural communities:
“The big beautiful bill, and I would say largely thanks to (U.S. Sens.) Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley, really made sure that rural America, in our case rural Missouri, was represented by putting a $50-billion allocation appropriation in that bill back in July,” Governor Kehoe tells listeners.
The governor says Missouri’s plan would improve rural health care access by connecting providers, pharmacies, public health agencies and others through a unified, regional network.
Missouri will learn by New Year’s Eve if its lengthy application for the RHT plan is successful. Governor Kehoe tells “Wake Up” that the state Departments of Social Services (DSS) and Health and Senior Services (DHSS) worked on the plan nonstop for about 60 days. The governor is hopeful about the application, noting other states are applying for the funding too:
“To see if we can get our fair share to really create a difference for rural health care, specifically in parts of Missouri that are health care deserts right now,” Kehoe says.
Rural hospitals in mid-Missouri’s Boonville, Fulton and Mexico have closed in the past decade. Other rural hospitals across the state have also closed.
Governor Kehoe tells listeners that the state’s plan would create what he calls a healthcare ecosystem that will support rural Missouri towns for generations to come. You can hear the full “Wake Up” interview with Governor Kehoe here.