Presidential Documents

94595 

Federal Register 

Vol. 89, No. 230 

Friday, November 29, 2024 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10863 of November 20, 2024 

National Rural Health Day, 2024 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

In America, health care should be a right, not a privilege—no matter a 

person’s zip code. On National Rural Health Day, we show gratitude to 

all the health professionals providing incredible care to the more than 60 

million people who live in rural America. And we recommit to ensuring 

that rural communities have access to affordable, quality health care. 

Too many people living in rural communities worry about whether they 

can access and afford health care when they need it. Rural Americans 

often have fewer health care providers within reach, although they are 

more likely to be older and have disabilities. Since 2010, over 150 rural 

hospitals have closed down or stopped providing in-patient care, putting 

a strain on local economies and leaving families without a reliable source 

of health care. 

I came into office determined to invest in rural America—and that includes 

investing in rural hospitals and health care. My American Rescue Plan 

delivered $8.5 billion to rural healthcare providers. This funding was essential during the pandemic, helping to keep hospitals and clinics operational 

when they were most needed. My Administration also launched a Rural 

Emergency Hospital designation to provide a new option to some struggling 

hospitals, and the Department of Health and Human Services has provided 

tens of millions of dollars to expand health services and provide assistance 

to hospitals facing financial distress. We made historic investments of over 

$4 billion that can be used to deliver telehealth to increase access to health 

care services in rural and remote areas. The Department of Health and 

Human Services also updated regulations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to reduce discrimination in health care against people with disabilities, including those living in rural communities. 

Investing in the future of rural health care also means training the next 

generation of providers. That is why the Rural Emergency Hospital funds 

also provide funds to train health care professionals to serve rural communities, addressing both current and future needs. Programs like the National 

Health Service Corps support more than 3,700 rural behavioral health clinicians with scholarships and loan repayment to meet the growing needs 

of these communities. My Administration also launched new programs to 

support the training of more nurse midwives and more nurse practitioners 

with a focus on maternal health in underserved and rural areas. And our 

investments in the Delta region support community-based organizations as 

they expand access to and coordinate health services in rural communities 

in the South. 

My Administration has also worked to lower the cost of health care for 

every American. We expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act, 

reducing health insurance premiums and saving millions of families an 

average of $800 per year. My Inflation Reduction Act finally beat Big Pharma, 

empowering Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for the first time in 

American history. Medicare can now negotiate prices with major manufacturers that treat everything from blood clots to cancer. It also capped the 

cost of insulin at $35 per month for people with Medicare. At the same 


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94596 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 230 / Friday, November 29, 2024 / Presidential Documents 

time, we are requiring drug companies to reimburse Medicare if they raise 

prices higher than the rate of inflation—saving seniors up to $618 on medication. 

My Administration has also been working to tackle the health challenges 

impacting rural communities—from improving maternal health care to addressing the mental health crisis and beating the opioid epidemic. We released a Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis. 

We have expanded evidence-based home visiting services and programs 

like Healthy Start, which support families across the country, including 

in rural areas. We have invested $535 million in rural areas to expand 

programs that provide prevention, treatment, and recovery services for mental 

health and substance use disorders. Under our leadership, opioid overdose 

deaths are decreasing for the first time in years. We have provided tens 

of millions of dollars through the Department of Agriculture’s Farm and 

Ranch Stress Assistance Network to connect vulnerable agricultural producers 

and their families with increased access to supportive services where they 

live and work. And we released a national strategy to end hunger and 

reduce diet-related diseases by 2030, which includes a pathway to providing 

free, healthy school meals for all children. 

Through the Biden Cancer Moonshot, we have also been working hard 

to prevent cancer in rural communities, detect it early so it may be easier 

to treat, and connect people with world-class care, no matter where they 

live. Tobacco is still the number one preventable cause of cancer in this 

country and we have expanded efforts to help people in rural America 

quit smoking—so they may never face a cancer diagnosis in the first place. 

We have increased access to cancer screenings, making them free and widely 

available to virtually everyone in our Nation. And we have linked cancer 

screening in rural areas with treatment from centers with expertise, making 

sure high-quality care is accessible to all. 

Across the country, American communities are writing the greatest comeback 

story our Nation has ever known—creating and pursuing opportunities in 

their hometowns and putting shovels in the ground while restoring pride 

in their communities, in America, and in one another. We must continue 

expanding access to affordable health care for every American. On National 

Rural Health Day, we recommit to ensuring every rural American has the 

resources they need to stay healthy, care for their well-being, and thrive. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 21, 2024, 

as National Rural Health Day. I call upon the people of the United States 

to reaffirm our dedication to the health and well-being of rural America. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 230 / Friday, November 29, 2024 / Presidential Documents 94597 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day 

of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of 

the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 

forty-ninth. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28225 

Filed 11–27–24; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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