WASHINGTON, D.C. –The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a $216,276,818 grant to the state of Missouri to expand access to health care in rural communities from the Rural Health Transformation Program that was created as part of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill that Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) co-authored. Since passage of the Bill, Congressman Smith (MO-08) personally contacted both HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz to ensure rural communities in Missouri receive desperately needed funding, particularly in southeast and south-central Missouri.

Congressman Smith said, “Access to care is the biggest issue facing working families in Missouri, which is why I made funding rural health care such a top priority in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. The Rural Health Transformation Program is a foundational piece of a broader Republican effort to prioritize working families in rural communities across the country. Sixty million Americans — roughly 20 percent of our nation’s population — live in rural communities that lack sufficient access to quality, affordable health care. This funding will help fund greatly expanded health care access, better training and retention for health professionals, and new innovations to fight the chronic disease epidemic. This effort will dramatically improve the delivery of health care in rural communities that currently suffer from a disproportionate level of mortality when compared to their urban counterparts — including heightened cancer and maternal mortality rates, alongside the closure of hospitals like the twelve that have shut down in Missouri over the past decade. I applaud the Trump Administration for recognizing this once in a generation opportunity to strengthen the health and well-being of America’s rural communities. Now I will work hand-in-hand with our state’s leaders to ensure this funding is used to create sustainable, long-lasting changes that improve the quality of life for Missouri residents through improved health access.”

Congressman Smith, alongside members of the Missouri delegation, sent a letter to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Missouri Department of Social Services Director Jessica Bax, and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Sarah Willson highlighting the importance of the RHTP program to Missouri’s rural communities and asking officials to incorporate key policies in their application.