GREENVILLE – Wayne HealthCare is concerned about recent Congressional proposals to cut Medicaid funding, which pose a serious threat to rural healthcare access. As a healthcare provider serving thousands in west-central Ohio, we want to reassure our community that Wayne HealthCare is not at risk of closure or cutting services. However, these proposed cuts could have devastating consequences, particularly for mothers, infants, and low-income families.
In 2024, Wayne HealthCare transitioned to a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), a designation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that helps stabilize and expand essential services in rural areas. This transition assists us with opportunities to explore expanding vital services, including 340B drug pricing program, service line partnerships, and maternal health services, which many rural communities have already lost.
Today, despite national trends of rural hospital closures and elimination of services, we remain one of the few rural hospitals in the area providing comprehensive women’s health services, including labor and delivery care and employed obstetricians. Approximately 45% of these services are funded through Medicaid at our organization and 47% of rural births nationally are by patients on Medicaid. These proposed cuts jeopardize not just our ability to sustain these services, but the very health and safety of mothers, infants and families in our region.
Medicaid is critical to ensuring access to care for individuals living in rural communities. At Wayne HealthCare, it enables us to deliver local, timely care to patients who might otherwise have to travel long distances. A drastic cut in funding would disproportionately affect our most vulnerable populations and create further strain on healthcare organizations across the region.
For over a century, Wayne HealthCare has stood as a cornerstone of care in our community, which is a testament to our perseverance and resilience. We remain committed to care, but we cannot do this alone. We urge community members, healthcare partners, local leaders, and elected officials to speak up and advocate on our behalf. Contact Congressional representatives and ask them to oppose Medicaid cuts.
These decisions will have lasting consequences for our healthcare in our region. Together, we must prioritize the preservation of rural healthcare by working towards collaborative solutions that sustain local access to care in rural communities.
Visit waynehealthcare.org to stay informed and learn more about our actions to remain a vital part of the community.
