The Shadow
FINCASTLE, VA (VR)– On September 22, 2026, Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06) sent a letter to Center for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Mehmet Oz, urging the agency to reconsider the non-rural designations in Virginia’s Sixth District so more rural communities have the opportunity to receive funding to improve access to healthcare through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).
“Expanding access to quality health care in rural Virginia is one of my top priorities,” said Rep. Cline. “I’m fighting to ensure families across the Shenandoah and Roanoke Valleys can get the care they need close to home. Too many rural communities face barriers to care, including long travel distances, limited transportation, and gaps in broadband access. The Rural Health Transformation Program is an important opportunity to strengthen rural health care systems, support innovative solutions, and improve access to care for underserved communities. I will continue working to ensure rural communities in Virginia’s 6th District have the resources and support they need to deliver timely, quality care to the people they serve.”
BACKGROUND: H.R. 1, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, created the RHTP for states to receive funding to expand and enhance rural health care. On August 28, 2026, the Administration announced that Virginia was awarded $122 million to transform rural healthcare across Virginia. However, RHTP funding will be restricted to rural localities to ensure appropriate application of resources, and the current Center for Medicare and Medicaid’s definition does not include some counties and cities in Virginia’s Sixth District that should be eligible for RHTP funding.
Read the full letter here.
Congressman Ben Cline represents the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia. He previously was an attorney in private practice and served both as an assistant prosecutor and a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Cline and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Botetourt County with their two children.
