The Big Beautiful Bill and Rural Hospitals: Why Wound Care Is Critical

Rural Woundcare in the age of One Big Beautiful Bill

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) into law after narrowly passing in the Senate and the House. This legislates a sweeping tax and spending reconciliation package that has ignited fierce debate across the healthcare industry. While the new law includes short-term support for rural hospitals, its long-term implications are sobering.

Key Provisions Impacting Wound Care in Rural Hospitals:

• $1 Trillion in Medicaid Cuts over 10 years

• Work and eligibility requirements added for Medicaid recipients

• Provider tax cap reduced from 6% to 3.5% of net patient revenue

• $50 Billion Rural Hospital Stabilization Fund over 5 years

While the stabilization fund is being celebrated in some circles, hospital leaders and policy analysts warn it is woefully insufficient. A recent Urban Institute analysis projects rural hospitals could see $87 billion in revenue losses over the next decade.

Impacts Already Emerging:

• Over 300 rural hospitals are now considered financially vulnerable

• Closures are accelerating in states like North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska

• Maternal care, emergency services, swing bed programs and behavioral health access are among the most at-risk service lines

• Even hospitals in Medicaid expansion states face severe pressure due to reductions in federal matching and supplemental payments

In the words of one rural CEO:

“We’ve survived COVID. We’ve managed through workforce shortages. But this legislation may be the one we can’t outlast.”

Corstrata’s Role—A Lifeline for Wound Care in Rural Hospitals

As rural hospitals grapple with staffing shortages, declining reimbursements, and new regulatory burdens, Corstrata offers a scalable, cost-effective solution that improves both clinical outcomes and financial performance.

What Corstrata Delivers:

Challenge	Corstrata’s Solution
Lack of WOCN (Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurse) staff	Virtual WOCN consults are available 7 days/week
High readmission rates	Evidence-based protocols reduce preventable returns
Inefficient swing bed utilization	Wound & ostomy consults help justify admissions and avoid transfers
Poor documentation/survey risk	Detailed consult notes & MD orders support regulatory compliance
Costly patient transfers	Telehealth consults enable care to remain local

Financial Impact

Corstrata produces ROI through customized pricing in a solution that:

• Offsets 1–2 unnecessary transfers, saving $10K–$30K monthly

• Boosts swing bed census, generating $6K–$12K per admission

• Reduces ER use and readmissions, key metrics in VBP and ACOs

• Supports revenue capture through better coding and documentation

Example: Rural Critical Access Hospital in Georgia

• Baseline: 3 wound-related transfers/month

• Post-Corstrata: Reduced to 1 transfer/month

• Annual Savings: Over $200,000 in avoided transfer and travel costs

• Swing Bed Uplift: +20% admissions tied to Corstrata-supported wound care

Why Corstrata Is Built for This Moment

With the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” rural hospitals must navigate a new reality:

• Fewer federal dollars

• Greater accountability

• Higher clinical acuity

• Staffing burnout

Corstrata doesn’t just offer virtual consults. We provide a full-service, high-touch partner model designed to:

• Improve patient care through rapid access to certified WOC nurses

• Reduce outmigration by enabling patients to stay local for wound and ostomy care

• Strengthen hospital margins by minimizing costly transfers and optimizing swing bed use

• Support survey readiness with comprehensive documentation and MD order templates

• Empower local nurses and case managers through education, mentorship, and consult backup

• Maximize impact of the $50B Rural Hospital Stabilization Fund by:

  • Demonstrating measurable quality improvements (e.g., reduced readmissions, shorter LOS)

  • Supporting value-based care goals tied to federal or state incentive metrics

  • Providing the consult and documentation infrastructure necessary to qualify for and justify continued access to federal relief funds

Final Thoughts

In times of sweeping policy shifts, survival depends on adaptability. The Big Beautiful Bill has redrawn the map, with both threats and opportunities. But with the right partners, rural hospitals can still chart a sustainable path forward. Corstrata is ready to walk that path with you—delivering results that meet the moment and unlock the value of every available resource.

A Stronger Rural Future

At Corstrata, we’re driven by a mission: rural patients deserve expert care, and rural hospitals deserve to prosper. Our virtual solutions level the playing field—reducing disparities, saving limbs, and strengthening the backbone of rural healthcare.

Let’s build a stronger rural healthcare system—together.

Create a wound and ostomy “Center of Excellence” in your community by partnering with Corstrata to boost outcomes, cut costs, and drive revenue.

Let’s Talk

Whether you're looking to retain more wound and ostomy patients, improve your swing bed program, or address a WOCN staffing gap—Corstrata is here to help.

👉 Schedule a consultation today to learn how Corstrata can support your team

By turning wound and ostomy care from a struggle into a profitable service line, Corstrata helps rural hospitals thrive while delivering top-tier care.

About Corstrata

Corstrata is a virtual care solution that utilizes technology to provide access to scarce certified wound, ostomy, and continence nurses (WOCNs) at the patient's bedside in multiple provider settings, including home health, hospice, skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals across all 50 states. Corstrata's team of WOC nurses provides consultations with provider staff at the patient's bedside, either through HIPAA-compliant video or through review of store-and-forward wound images, to improve clinical and financial outcomes for providers.