U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts, R-KS, and Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND, co-chairmen of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, recently announced their bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the State Offices of Rural Health grant program passed out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The legislation will help equip rural communities with the resources they need to strengthen rural health care delivery systems and improve access to high quality services for individuals living in rural and underserved areas.
“I have long fought to ensure Americans living in rural areas have the same access to quality health care as their urban counterparts and that we have top notch providers available to deliver this care,” said Roberts, a member of the Senate HELP Committee. “This bill reauthorizes our state office of rural health so they can provide necessary resources to recruit and retain quality health professionals, coordinate state resources to support the primary care system in rural Kansas, and support rural health providers in attaining new public health skills, among other priorities.”
“Rural communities face unique challenges in providing access to quality, affordable health care. Our bipartisan bill would allow State Offices of Rural Health to continue to receive the critical support they need to bolster the rural health workforce, increase affordability of local clinics and hospitals and seek long-term solutions for problems facing both rural patients and providers,” said Heitkamp. “As co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, I’m committed to improving health service for all citizens, regardless of their zipcode and today is an important step in addressing rural health challenges and making sure everyone in North Dakota and across rural America can access affordable, quality care.”
Roberts and Heitkamp introduced the State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018, S. 2278, on January 4, 2018. This legislation reauthorizes the SORH grant program for five years. All 50 states have state offices of rural health that serve an essential role in assisting and providing resources for rural health care providers.
The National Rural Health Association offered their support for the legislation saying, “State Offices of Rural Health help provide rural communities with critical resources to improve rural health care and expand access to quality, affordable care for individuals in rural communities. This legislation, the State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2017, will allow these crucial offices to continue operating through 2022.” The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health has also endorsed the legislation.
The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Baldwin, D-WI, Barrasso, R-WY, Casey, D-PA, Collins, R-Maine, Grassley, R-Iowa, Hassan, D-NH, Jones, D-AL, King, I-Maine, Klobuchar, D-MN, Scott, R-SC, Shaheen, D-NH, Smith, D-MN, and Warren, D-MA.
