About 1,700 hospitals nationwide are eligible to convert to the stripped-down Rural Emergency Hospital model. ), who voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which included both the rural health fund and the Medicaid spending reductions — has asked for more support for rural hospitals. Ten full-service rural hospitals in Missouri have closed in the past 12 years, according to the Sheps Center. Five rural hospitals have closed in the past 20 years in Michigan, and LaPine-Ray said she doubts the rural health fund Congress approved last year will stop the closures. The association, which worked with the governor’s office on the funding, expects less than 10% of Michigan’s $173 million in first-year rural health funding to trickle down to rural hospitals.