Rural hospitals across America are facing a financial crisis, with hundreds having closed or at risk of closing over the last decade. One of the main reasons is that Medicare pays them less than urban hospitals for the same services because their local wages are lower. This makes it almost impossible for rural hospitals to recruit medical staff from the same national pool as big cities.

If this bill becomes law, it provides a permanent safety net for these institutions. Without it, the current policy (which currently exists only as a regulation that can be easily changed or cancelled by the Department of Health and Human Services) could disappear. For a voter, this bill represents a choice about whether the government should intervene to redistribute healthcare funding to ensure that people in low-income or rural areas don't lose their local hospitals.