Ep. 64 - Carly Salamone Dissects the One Big Beautiful Bill for Rural America (08/12/2025)

Tune into this episode of Working Healthcare to learn how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could reshape rural health care as Meredith Hirsh and Mike Chavez interview policy leader Carly Salamone. With a dozen years in rural hospital care, Carly is now President of Vantage Healthcare of Ohio where is leads policy for several member hospitals. She breaks down the bill’s proposals, its impact on hospital payments and Medicaid, and what it means when the nearest ER is 60 miles away. We examine maternity care after Dobbs, why labor units are often first to close and how Medicaid’s role in births strains thin margins. The conversation demystifies site-neutral payments in the 2026 proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and tests whether they level the field or push services to the brink. You’ll hear candid stories about coverage gaps during job changes, hospitals acting like subprime lenders for high deductibles and the power of regional collaboration. Press play to understand what’s at stake for rural and urban communities.