FINALIZED HRSA RULE LEAVES APPALACHIA BEHIND

MANCHIN: FINALIZED HRSA RULE LEAVES APPALACHIA BEHIND

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) released the following statement after the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a Federal Register Notice (FRN) finalizing its modification to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) definition of ‘rural.’ This classification determines communities’ eligibility to receive certain federal resources.

“I’m extremely disappointed to see this finalized notice, which represents yet another example of the federal government turning a blind eye to Appalachia. Much of West Virginia, and Appalachia as a whole, has long been miscategorized as ‘urban,’ preventing critical federal resources from reaching our communities. Anyone who has travelled to Fayette, Wayne, Hancock and Marshall Counties, among others in our state, knows this updated definition is still far too narrow and I encourage the HRSA officials who finalized this notice to drive down and see first-hand our beautiful mountainous communities. I have repeatedly called on HRSA to update its classification to fix this oversight so that these regions can receive the funding they deserve, and I will continue doing everything I can to see it through.”

In May, Senator Manchin led the West Virginia delegation in urging HRSA to adequately include terrain factors in their definition of rural.

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