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Members press HHS on rural hospital wage index, staff cuts and NIOSH reinstatements; Kennedy pledges technical support
Summary
Committee members raised concerns about the Medicare area wage index's effect on rural hospitals and asked about staff cuts at HHS; Secretary Kennedy said statutory change is required on the wage index and that HHS will provide studies and technical assistance, and he confirmed reinstatements at NIOSH.
Representatives raised the financial stress on rural hospitals tied to the Medicare area wage index and asked HHS for technical assistance and statutory remedies.
A member described how the area wage index, which CMS uses to adjust hospital reimbursement, can leave low‑wage rural hospitals unable to raise wages and compete, increasing the risk of closure. Kennedy said the Trump administration had attempted earlier reforms and that a court decision had complicated remedies; he…
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