Contact: Robin Winchell (202) 225-4031
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA)
today joined Rural Health Care Coalition co-chairs Congressmen Greg Walden
(R-OR) and Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) in unveiling the bipartisan Health Care
Access and Rural Equity Act of 2007.
Melancon is co-sponsoring the bill, which is a comprehensive
piece of legislation making several improvements to help rural healthcare
providers address the challenges associated with delivering quality healthcare
close to home.
"Rural communities are struggling to provide accessible
and affordable health care," said Rep. Melancon. "Living in my
small town of Napoleonville
in Assumption Parish, my family and I understand from firsthand experience the
challenges that people in rural communities face with regards to health
care. Hospitals are few and far between, and people who are disabled, or
are extremely sick, or lack reliable transportation have trouble getting to see
a doctor. Under-funded hospitals struggle to afford new, up-to-date
equipment and technology. Independent pharmacies suffer because Medicare
takes too long to reimburse them. Clinics and hospitals face a severe
shortage of healthcare providers because they often can't afford to pay doctors
and nurses competitive wages."
Rep. Melancon continued, "The H-CARE Act would address
some of these health care challenges rural communities face, and I will
continue working with the Rural Health Care Coalition to pass this bill in
Congress."
The H-CARE Act, which has bipartisan support, will do the
following:
- Increase
payments known as disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments to rural
hospitals with a disproportionate share of Medicare and Medicaid patients.
- Improve
payments for lab services in small Critical Access Hospitals.
- Ensure
adequate rural representation on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.
- Improve
payments for rural ground ambulance services.
- Raise
Rural Health Clinic reimbursements to more appropriately cover costs.
- Authorize
health information technology grants for rural practitioners.
- Establish a Rural Heath Quality Advisory Commission
and rural health quality demonstration projects.
- Require prompt payment to rural pharmacies by Medicare
prescription drug plans.
- Reauthorize
the Rural Outreach and Network Grants.
- Extend
several expiring Medicare adjustment payments
for rural practitioners including physicians practicing in physician
scarcity areas, rural ambulance providers, rural home health agencies
and specific classes of rural hospitals.
To date, twelve national organizations have endorsed the
H-CARE Act including the National Rural Health Association, American Hospital
Association, Rural Referral Center/Sole Community Hospital Coalition, American
Counseling Association, American Association for Marriage and Family
Therapists, American Ambulance Association, American Osteopathic Association,
National Association of Rural Health Clinics, Federation of American Hospitals,
College of American Pathologists, Section 508 Hospital Coalition and the
American Mental Health Counselors Association.
"In rural Louisiana,
access to affordable, quality healthcare can be a matter of life or death,"
said Melancon. "The H-CARE Act goes a long way toward improving
healthcare access and I will continue fighting for this bill's passage.
Rural Americans are depending on it."
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