Renzi Pushes for Better Access to Rural Healthcare

Renzi Pushes for Better Access to Rural Healthcare

Co-Sponsors Bill to Support Critical Access Hospitals for Emergency Healthcare

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Rick Renzi (AZ-1) is pushing for better access to rural healthcare with a bill he is co-sponsoring called the Rural Health Care Capital Access Act of 2006 (HR 4912). The bi-partisan measure helps reimburse Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), which are designed to improve access to rural health care. Critical Access Hospitals provide essential services to rural communities and are reimbursed by Medicare for services provided to Medicare patients. Arizona's First District has three Critical Access Hospitals, Sage Memorial Hospital, Page Memorial Hospital, and Winslow Memorial Hospital. The bill will ensure that these hospitals continue to provide critical access healthcare to the residents of rural Arizona by continuing Medicare reimbursements.

"We are fighting to provide access to quality health care for residents of rural Arizona," said Congressman Renzi. "Arizona faces unique healthcare challenges including uncompensated care for illegal immigrants, and the large number of Native Americans who live in remote and isolated areas of the state. This bill will help ensure that our critical hospitals continue to provide access to safe, affordable healthcare for those who need it most."

Renzi noted that the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program established in the bill will help improve the delivery of health care for the residents of rural Arizona by encouraging development of collaborative rural health networks that include critical access hospitals, tertiary hospitals, emergency medical services providers, and other local health care and social services providers. Renzi said the goal of this "networked community health" strategy is to improve access to primary and preventive services, enhance the quality of services provided, and create financial and administrative stability for local community hospitals in rural areas of the Arizona.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/az01_renzi/RenziFightsforRuralHealthcare.html