Senator Al Franken (D-MN) www.franken.senate.gov Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Rural Health Caucus and a member of the Senate Health Committee, recently introduced three pieces of legislation https://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=3514 after conducting nearly 30 meetings with over 300 providers, community members, and rural health experts across Minnesota.
The legislative package introduced on July 13, 2016, contains three bills to address the barriers that rural Americans face when it comes to healthcare. The bills www.congress.gov refer to access to health services, helping providers recruit and retain skilled workers, and in general increase the quality of care delivered in rural communities.
The first bill “Connecting rural Americans to Care Act of 2016” addresses the lack of transportation in rural areas and the need for more health information technology infrastructure. This bill would increase coordination across federal agencies and help to prioritize funding projects in rural areas.
The bill would establish the “Interagency Task Force on Rural Health Information Technology” to coordinate delivery of financial and technical assistance to rural providers and increase internet access in rural communities.
The bill would also require the FCC to simplify and strengthen the “Healthcare Connect Fund” by streamlining the application process and would enable the FCC to further reduce cost sharing for healthcare providers in tribal areas.
The second bill “Strengthening Our Rural Health Workforce Act of 2016” would improve training programs for rural physicians and other primary care training programs. The legislation supports an education program that would prepare a workforce capable of responding to the complex healthcare needs in rural and underserved communities, establish mental health and SUD curriculum, and streamline existing mental health and behavioral health workforce programs.
The third bill “Rural Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 2016” would call on the HHS Secretary to establish measures tailored to rural healthcare delivery, promote payment reforms in rural areas, and improve rural representation in delivery system reform organizations.