At a time when members of the nonprofit community are facing uncertainty and upheaval, collaborating to advocate for our shared values and goals is more important than ever. At the National Rural Health Association’s Policy Institute on February 11-13 in Washington, D.C., the Health Foundation team met with leaders from the nonprofit, public, and private sectors who are working to improve the health of rural communities. The conference also gave us the opportunity to visit our elected officials to speak to them directly on the issues we care about.
Advocacy is always necessary, but current challenges make it more important than ever. The cuts to public programs and services proposed by the Trump Administration—or in some cases, already being implemented—will force people to lose their health insurance, cause health care providers to reduce services or close, and send community health outcomes in the wrong direction.
The Health Foundation team was part of a collaborative of health leaders from our state attending the Policy Institute through the New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH). In addition to our state contacts at NYSARH, our colleagues included representatives from diverse organizations such as Community Health Center of the North Country, A2 Associates, and Schuyler County Public Health Department.
Our overall takeaway from three days of meeting, sharing information, and advocating? Across political, geographic, and programmatic lines, rural health experts throughout the country want to see public programs like Medicaid, the ACA Marketplace, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) remain strong and fully funded.
What our group learned:
People across party lines want a strong safety net that works for working families, children, and older adults. In fact, surveys show that most Americans who voted for Trump don’t want to see deep Medicaid cuts.
Some of the issues important to rural health advocates are: keeping Enhanced Premium Tax Credits for those that purchase Marketplace insurance, protecting Medicaid and Medicare, and addressing shortcomings in some Medicare Advantage plans.
Elected officials need and, in most cases, want to hear constituent stories that demonstrate how cuts to these programs would have an impact on the average rural resident. Sharing stories puts a human face on these issues—going beyond what data or polling can tell representatives.
Health outcomes in rural areas are largely worsening, particularly for veterans. In New York State, 60-79 percent of rural vets live in poverty.
We need to change the narrative around Medicaid. Most enrollees are older adults, children, or working people—many of them in rural communities—and the rate of Medicaid user fraud is extremely low.
Community health centers, including FQHCs, are vital for rural health and typically have bipartisan support. One in five rural residents receives care from a community health center.
The first Trump Administration helped to advance broadband access and telehealth. Advocates have an opportunity to leverage this earlier interest and success to push for continued telehealth flexibility and greater broadband access.
Residency programs that help bring doctors and other health care providers to rural areas are showing promise, including some funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.
We are grateful to have had the opportunity to speak directly with our representatives and learn from our colleagues who are leading the charge to protect and strengthen rural health across the United States.
Interested in learning more, or advocating around these issues? Check out our advocacy landing page for downloadable fact sheets and more.
