Rural Colorado hospitals haven’t had much good news lately, with Colorado lawmakers eying deep cuts into the state and federal money they receive in order to fatten up the largest budget in state history.

But give Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner credit for trying to steer some help their way, introducing legislation to permanently extend Medicare financing programs for rural low-volume and Medicare-dependent hospitals

“Colorado’s rural hospitals are vital to our communities, and it’s essential that we do our part to help them overcome the financial challenges they face,” Bennet said in a statement Friday.

“Last month, I visited Delta County Memorial Hospital and saw firsthand the value it brings to the community. Extending these programs would help stabilize rural hospitals and ensure they continue to provide high quality health-care services.”

Colorado’s senators are co-sponsoring the Rural Hospital Access Act introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, and Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York.

Federal programs set to expire on Oct 1. provide money to help rural hospitals stay open to provide essential services, including emergency rooms, while supporting local economies with jobs.

Colorado hospitals that assisted by the program include:

State lawmakers, however, are doing rural hospitals no favors with a proposal to lower the state’s Hospital Provider Fee, an assessment charged on hospital stays, by $264 million.

With the loss of federal matching money, that could cost Colorado’s rural hospitals $528 million next year, pushing some into closure.