The clock is ticking for Idaho’s rural hospitals as Legislature considers federal health funding

By: Toni Lawson

Outlets: Idaho Capital Sun

Published: March 19, 2026

Words: 601

Last Updated: 2 days, 2 hours ago

Body Text Preview

Too many of Idaho’s rural hospitals are struggling to stay open, and the situation is getting worse.

They took a big hit last summer when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade.

To soften the impact of those cuts, Congress included a section in OBBBA entitled “Protecting Rural Hospitals and Providers” which established the Rural Health Transformation Program. They allocated $50 billion …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us