(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)In more ways than one, rural hospitals are a lifeline for small towns across America.
They're often the largest employer in town. We count on them to mend broken bones, deliver babies into this world, diagnose illnesses, and perform lifesaving surgeries every day of the week.
In many cases, when minutes matter, a rural hospital staying open can mean the difference between life and death—for a farmer injured in a tractor accident, for a child being born with complications, or for a grandfather suffering from a heart attack.
If you ask anyone who lives in small-town America, there's no question about how important our rural hospitals are.
Why, then, doesn't Medicare recognize that reality?
For years, Medicare reimbursement rates have been falling. To pinch pennies, Medicare has been cutting back on what they pay hospitals to provide care to seniors. That's hurt hospitals everywhere, but it's been particularly hard for rural hospitals where a much higher percentage of patients are on Medicare.
Since 2005, more than 170 rural hospitals have closed their doors for good. Today, over 400 hospitals are barely hanging on. Every one of these closures has been devastating—tearing apart communities, forcing families to drive hours for the care they need, and costing lives when minutes matter.
This isn't a Republican or Democrat issue. It's an American problem and we have to fix it. That's why I reintroduced my bipartisan Save America's Rural Hospitals Act this month alongside Rep. Jared Huffman from California. While we may disagree on many things, he and I both know how important our rural hospitals are.
Why, then, doesn't Medicare recognize that reality?
For years, Medicare reimbursement rates have been falling. To pinch pennies, Medicare has been cutting back on what they pay hospitals to provide care to seniors. That's hurt hospitals everywhere, but it's been particularly hard for rural hospitals where a much higher percentage of patients are on Medicare.
Since 2005, more than 170 rural hospitals have closed their doors for good. Today, over 400 hospitals are barely hanging on. Every one of these closures has been devastating—tearing apart communities, forcing families to drive hours for the care they need, and costing lives when minutes matter.
This isn't a Republican or Democrat issue. It's an American problem and we have to fix it. That's why I reintroduced my bipartisan Save America's Rural Hospitals Act this month alongside Rep. Jared Huffman from California. While we may disagree on many things, he and I both know how important our rural hospitals are.
Our legislation would end Medicare reimbursement cuts for rural providers that have been hurting rural hospitals, make telehealth enhancements permanent for Rural Health Clinics and permanently increase payments for rural ambulance services.
For those not in the medical world, that’s about as clear as mud, isn’t it? Yet, it's really quite simple—the impact of this legislation would be enormous. These changes would help our rural hospitals survive, rescuing many of them from the brink. It needs to happen sooner rather than later. It’s critical we get this done for the sake of our hospitals and the rural communities they serve.
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