Concord, NH – House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) and Chair of Finance Division 3 Maureen Mooney (R-Merrimack) issued the following statements on the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” provision that allocates $50 billion to rural healthcare incentives like: expanding innovative care models, strengthening health IT and cybersecurity, and promote technology-driven, evidence-based solutions to improve prevention, chronic disease management, and patient outcomes. Osborne emphasized that providing rural areas with proper access to healthcare is a NH House priority. With federal dollars allocated through the “One Big Beautiful Bill” to states for rural healthcare, New Hampshire will submit a plan to ensure those federal funds directly benefit patients, not unnecessary and duplicative bureaucratic systems.
“Our state budget already set the tone to prioritize rural healthcare with the language of HB223, included in HB2 and signed into law by the governor. By taking advantage of the Federal Government’s spending spree we have a chance at empowering healthcare initiatives important to rural granite staters.” Osborne said.
Rep. Maureen Mooney (R-Merrimack) stated: “By removing the outdated notice requirements within a 15-mile radius of critical access hospitals, New Hampshire has opened access to rural healthcare and shown how free-market competition can flourish in the most rural corners of our state. This is exactly the perspective Washington and the Department of Health & Human Services should follow—empowering care providers and entrepreneurs to reach families where they live to expand access and improve outcomes.”
Osborne underscored the urgency of targeting these investments. “We cannot allow even one dollar of federally allocated funds intended for rural areas to end up in bottomless pits of bureaucracy and administration. Every penny should strengthen access, expand services, and drive innovation and interoperability for rural New Hampshire while improving the health and safety of our citizens.”