Trump hosts WH roundtable on Rural Health Transformation Program – One America News Network

OAN Staff Cory Hawkins 
2:50 PM – Friday, January 16, 2026

President Donald Trump hosted a roundtable discussion in the White House East Room on Friday. The event focused on his administration’s efforts to revitalize medical services in rural areas, specifically highlighting the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Trump hosted the roundtable to launch $10 billion in immediate funding for states, marking the first phase of a $50 billion, five-year commitment (2026–2030) established by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

This initiative, managed by the newly formed Office of Rural Health Transformation, aims to revitalize medical services in underserved communities through four strategic pillars:

• Modernizing Infrastructure: Upgrading rural hospitals and clinics with state-of-the-art facilities to ensure that high-quality care is accessible regardless of a patient’s zip code.

• Technological Leadership: Expanding AI-driven medical services, such as AI scribes for clinicians and advanced telehealth, to bridge the specialist gap in remote areas.

• Preventative “Whole-of-Health” Care: Implementing food-as-medicine programs and nationwide nutrition education to treat the root causes of chronic disease.

• Youth Fitness Restoration: Reinstating the Presidential Fitness Test in schools to promote physical excellence and long-term wellness for the next generation of Americans.

Joined by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Trump held the roundtable to affirm his administration’s commitment to rural America.

Trump opened the session by highlighting his ongoing efforts and successes in lowering prescription drug costs, framing it as a cornerstone of his broader mission to improve health affordability for all Americans. He also pledged comprehensive federal support to help these communities modernize aging medical facilities and adopt cutting-edge healthcare technologies.

“This historic investment puts local hospitals, clinics, and health workers in control of their communities’ healthcare,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in announcing the initiative. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, rural Americans will now have affordable healthcare close to home, free from bureaucratic obstacles.”

 

On January 7^th, Kennedy and Rollins unveiled the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030), marking a significant shift toward “real foods,” increased protein and dairy, and reduced processed sugars. The initiative complements the Rural Health Transformation Program by integrating nutrition education and food-as-medicine approaches to combat chronic health issues in rural areas.

Through Trump’s “Working Families Tax Cuts” legislation, major investments and resources are directed toward every single state, strengthening rural health care access everywhere in the United States.

However, while citing analysis from KFF, congressional Democrats say that the $50 billion fund offsets only about one-third of the projected Medicaid revenue losses specifically for rural providers, which they claim leaves many hospitals at risk of financial distress.

Nonetheless, the Trump administration maintains that the fund is a tool for accountability. CMS Administrator Dr. Oz clarified that the federal government can “claw back” or recalculate funds annually if states fail to implement their promised policy reforms or meet “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) targets.

All 50 states have applied for the program, with many local legislatures fast-tracking laws to secure and distribute their portion of the initial $10 billion rollout.

During the roundtable, Dr. Oz specifically addressed the administration’s successful “Most Favored Nation” negotiations, which slashed the cost of common IVF and fertility medications by over 70%. Referencing these dramatic price reductions, Dr. Oz also predicted a surge in American families, stating that making these treatments more affordable would result in “so many Trump babies” by the 2026 midterm elections.