Becerra says rural health would improve if states expand Medicaid

Hill April 16, 2024
Nathaniel Weixel

Rural health outcomes would improve if more states expanded Medicaid, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra told a Senate panel Tuesday.

During a hearing on the administration’s budget request, Sen. Cindy-Hyde Smith (R-Miss.) said she is particularly worried about maternal care deserts caused by hospital closures. Mississippi sees some of the worst maternal health outcomes in the country, she said, and often leads the country in infant mortality.

Becerra said telehealth access is crucial, and Congress should ensure the agency’s pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities can continue. Many temporary waivers expire at the end of the year.

But more than anything, Becerra said, women in Mississippi would be better served if the state expanded Medicaid.

“Many...

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