LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Congressman Andy Barr and Dr. Mehmet Oz sat down with health care professionals in Lexington Friday to discuss some of Kentucky’s biggest health care challenges.
Dr. Oz leads the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Before the roundtable, Barr’s office said Oz confirmed Kentucky’s rural hospitals are eligible to receive funding through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a five-year initiative aimed at strengthening health care in rural communities.
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The announcement comes amid an ongoing debate between Barr and Gov. Andy Beshear over how the funding can be used. Barr’s office said the confirmation contradicts Beshear’s previous statements that rural hospitals were not eligible to receive money through the program.
Much of Friday’s discussion focused on the federal investment, which Oz said could help address persistent challenges facing rural health care systems…