Rural health care leaders say the recently-passed Phase 3 coronavirus legislation and any potential phases to come need to better address the concerns of rural hospitals. 

Rural hospitals were already struggling to stay open before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Now, many face escalated closures due to the stoppage of elective surgeries, skyrocketing prices of personal protective equipment (PPE) and what some say amounts to being overlooked in the recently passed recovery bill. 

Congressional leaders have reached agreement on a $2 trillion economic rescue package that would replenish the Agriculture Department’s Commodity Credit Corp. authority and earmark additional money for livestock and specialty crop producers as well as local agriculture.