Congressman Don Davis Announces a Bill to Help Reopen Martin General Hospital
June 30, 2025
WILLIAMSTON, N.C.—Congressman Don Davis (NC-01) announced new legislation to support reopening facilities like Martin General Hospital as Rural Emergency Hospitals.
The Rural Emergency Hospital Financial Stability Act, announced during a press conference outside Martin General Hospital, would provide support to healthcare facilities that are facing closure or are able to reopen by increasing Medicaid reimbursements for Rural Emergency Hospitals (REH) to the outpatient hospital, rather than the rural health clinic rate. By categorizing REHs as hospitals with respect to Medicaid, as Congress originally intended, rather than clinics, the legislation categorizes REHs in the same way as Medicare.
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[Congressman Don Davis announces the Rural Emergency Hospital Financial Stability Act in front of Martin General Hospital in Williamston, N.C.]
Without providing this financial stability, REHs would face long-term insolvency, particularly in communities like Martin County, where Medicaid reimbursements represent the highest share of their total revenue. The legislation will also reduce Medicaid expenditures because patients will no longer have to always travel long distances to seek care at inpatient facilities like ECU Health in Greenville, and could instead receive outpatient services at a reopened Martin General.
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[Congressman Don Davis describes how the Rural Emergency Hospital Financial Stability Act would help rural hospitals like Martin General, prevent closure or reopen.]
“Supporting the reopening of Martin General by ensuring financial stability for all Rural Emergency Hospitals is essential,” said Congressman Don Davis. “Communities with high Medicaid populations, rural hospitals are often overwhelmed, despite their best efforts to stay open. If we provide a higher Medicaid reimbursement rate for Rural Emergency Hospitals, we can help patients get the care they desperately need while creating healthcare jobs in communities that need it most.”
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[The community takes in the moment when Congressman Davis announces the Rural Emergency Hospital Financial Stability Act.]
“This bipartisan legislation takes a commonsense step to ensure REHs are treated fairly under Medicaid—just as they are under Medicare—so they can continue providing timely, local care without being financially hamstrung by bureaucratic gaps,” said Congressman Bergman. “Rural healthcare shouldn’t be at the mercy of inconsistent reimbursement rules, and I’m proud to support a fix that brings clarity, stability, and fairness to the REH model.”
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[Congressman Davis talks to the community of Williamston, North Carolina, about the future of Martin General Hospital.]
“The National Rural Health Association thanks Congressmen Davis and Bergman for their efforts to make a commonsense fix to rural emergency hospital payments,” said Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association. This legislation will ensure that rural emergency hospitals are paid adequately and can maintain local access to care in rural communities. We look forward to working with Congress to strengthen and sustain this important hospital designation.”
The press conference, with local residents in attendance, was held in front of Martin General Hospital. It highlighted the necessity of long-term solutions to improve the fiscal health of rural healthcare facilities.
The Rural Emergency Hospital Financial Stability Act is endorsed by the National Rural Health Association and America’s Essential Hospitals, of which East Carolina University Health is a member.
Congressman Davis’ Support for Martin General Hospital:
- August 2023: Congressman Davis makes calls to members of the NC General Assembly urging them to provide more support to REHs following Martin General’s closure on August 3.
- September 2023 - May 2024: Congressman Davis sends requests for information and engages with CMS to request a waiver to the 35-mile REH rule so Martin General can reopen.
- May 28, 2024: Congressman Davis holds a listening session with nearly 100 people in attendance at Martin Community College to discuss the future of Martin General.
- January 30, 2025: Congressman Davis meets with Martin County Commissioners and ECU Health representatives, who ask you to explore legislative pathways to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for REHs.
- May 2, 2025: Congressman Davis resubmits a community project funding request for Washington Regional Medical Center (WRMC) to improve their critical infrastructure and take some of the pressure off nearby health systems.
- May 22, 2025: Congressman Davis joins a bipartisan coalition in voting against H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would dramatically cut Medicaid revenues via provider taxes that fund rural hospitals.
- January 30 - June 30, 2025: Congressman Davis agrees to move forward with actionable legislation to address REH financial stability, working with the Town of Williamston, Martin County, and ECU Health.
- June 30, 2025: Congressman Davis announces the introduction of the REH Financial Stability Act to ensure long-term viability for Martin General in its new form.
Congressman Don Davis serves as a member of the House Agriculture Committee and as Ranking Member on the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee, which has partial jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Agriculture, overseeing several rural development programs supporting rural communities, including rural hospitals.
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Issues:Health Care