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H.R. 2860, the Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 2007 (H-CARE), of which Congressman for All Alaska Don Young is a cosponsor, was introduced today in the United States House of Representatives.  This legislation seeks to stabilize elements of our nation’s rural health care infrastructure and correct the insufficiencies that endanger our vulnerable rural health care systems and those in need of care nationwide. 

“The need for better access to health care for our rural Alaskan communities is vital,” said Rep. Young.  “A perfect example is the bill I introduced last week (H.R. 2801) which would provide a land exchange so the people in that area can build a road giving them access to medivacs to hospitals, a service they do not have easy access to presently.  Our rural communities are substantially behind the rest of the country when it comes to proper health care and the services they can receive.  It is unacceptable that someone should not be able to receive proper, possibly life-saving, medical attention based on where they live in this country.  Health care should be easily accessible to all.” 

Some of the key provisions for this legislation are:

• Ensure adequate rural representation on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
• Improve payments for lab services in small Critical Access Hospitals
• Raise Rural Health Clinic reimbursements to more appropriately cover costs
• Improve payments for rural ground ambulance services
• Authorize health information technology grants for rural practitioners
• Establish a Rural Health Care Quality Advisory Commission and rural health quality demonstration projects
• Require prompt payment of rural pharmacies by Medicare prescription drug plans
• Reauthorize Rural Outreach and Network Grants
• Increase payments known as disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments to rural hospitals that treat significant numbers of Medicare and Medicaid patients
• 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