Senate Republicans say they are looking for ways to safeguard rural hospitals from proposed cuts to a key Medicaid funding method, amid concerns from the powerful hospital lobby and others that the budget reconciliation bill could force many facilities to close.

Without changes to the GOP's "big, beautiful bill," Sen. Josh Hawley fears "there’s going to be a lot of rural hospitals in Missouri that close."

Senate Republicans are crafting provisions to provide funding for struggling rural hospitals in order to resolve an impasse on Medicaid changes that is one issue holding up passage of President Donald Trump’s tax-cut bill.