As part of the the Big Beautiful Bill, the federal government will distribute a total of $50 billion dollars to states over the next five years to benefit rural health care.
Ohio will receive 202 million dollars as part of that Rural Health Transformation Fund, right around the same time as major cuts in Medicaid are expected.

Finding a doctor. Getting that appointment or crucial test scheduled. And trying to do all of that when you are sick. It's a daunting task, sometimes made more difficult just depending on where you live.

Zach Levinson is with KFF, an independent source for health policy research. 
He says the 220 million dollars sent to Ohio is less than what some of our surrounding states are getting in the rural health transformation fund.

"Ohio has one of the largest rural populations in the country and people who live in rural areas report having worse physical and mental health, they are more likely to live in poverty than people who live in urban areas," said Levinson.

"In a lot of of our rural poorer communities, they just don't have access to these kinds of services and if they do they are a long ways away and transportation can be tough or unreliable," said Senator Jon Husted (R) Ohio.

Husted says some of this money in Ohio will be used for medical clinics in schools where students and sometimes their families can go and get health care. Campbell city schools, for example is building a new wellness center next to their elementary school that's expected to be open late this summer.  He says in many rural areas, the schools are a centrally located place where people can easily get to.

"You've found places where we've had these school-based health clinics that the academic performance, the attendance, the quality of life for students at that school have increased dramatically. So these are more than just health they are about wellness and academic performance and life success," added Husted.

Another issue the fund will be used for...incentives.
More providers are needed in rural areas and there needs to be more of an effort to recruit people to work in rural areas while they are still being trained and educated.

"We are facing a major provider shortage. That includes not just doctors but MP's, PA's, nurses. We need more workforce!" said Nathan Baugh, National Assoc. of Rural Health Clinics.

Incentives could be better pay and benefits to attract providers to stay in rural locations.
Husted says Ohio plans to spend more than a billion dollars over the next five years to support rural health care access.