Congressman Mike Lawler Participates in President Trump’s Healthcare Roundtable

By Yisroel R.

President Donald Trump hosted on Friday a healthcare roundtable at the White House to discuss his administration’s rural healthcare initiative as federal funding begins rolling out through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a major effort created under last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The discussion centered on stabilizing rural hospitals and expanding access to care.

The Rural Health Transformation Program will distribute $10 billion to states in 2026, with a total of $50 billion committed over five years. Administration officials said the funding is intended to strengthen rural hospitals, support healthcare workforce development, and expand access to primary, emergency, maternal, behavioral, and telemedicine services.

Congressman Mike Lawler participated in the roundtable and said New York State is expected to receive approximately $212 million in the program’s first year. Lawler said the funding will help strengthen healthcare services across the state, expand access to care, and support hospitals and providers serving rural communities.

During the discussion, Congressman Lawler credited the administration’s approach to Medicaid reform, saying the funding was made possible by addressing waste, fraud, and abuse while preserving benefits for seniors, children, individuals with disabilities, and single mothers. He said those changes allow federal resources to be redirected toward strengthening healthcare services and long-term hospital stability.

Lawler also sharply criticized the role of insurance companies in rising healthcare costs. “When you look at Obamacare, health insurance premiums have risen 96 percent since Obamacare took effect,” Lawler said. “Insurance revenue is up 2,000 percent. Mr. President, you are a thousand percent correct that the insurance companies are the problem.”

Congressman Lawler also pointed to President Trump’s efforts to expand access to IVF treatment, saying the administration has taken important steps to reduce costs and push insurance companies to cover fertility care. Lawler also referenced the president’s work on lowering prescription drug prices, saying both efforts are aimed at making healthcare more affordable for families.

President Trump used the roundtable to reaffirm his administration’s broader healthcare agenda, emphasizing lower costs, expanded access, and long-term sustainability for healthcare systems nationwide.