Texas, HHS Unveil $800M Rural Health Boost

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emphasized the critical state of rural healthcare in Texas during a recent roundtable, highlighting ongoing hospital closures and staffing shortages that threaten small communities. They announced a combined investment of $800 million over five years, including $300 million from the state and $100 million annually in federal funds, to expand telehealth, AI innovations, laboratory upgrades, and maternal and mental health services. The funding is part of a broader $50 billion national Rural Healthcare Transformation Program under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill initiative, aimed at revitalizing rural health infrastructure. Both leaders stressed the importance of these investments to sustain rural hospitals, which are often the largest employers in their regions, and to improve healthcare access for over 6 million Texans living in rural counties. Abbott also highlighted the newly signed Make Texas Healthy Again legislative package, which complements these federal efforts. The roundtable included healthcare leaders and aimed to ensure rural communities are better prepared to meet their unique healthcare needs.