Doug Jones Introduces Bill To Help Rural Hospitals

WASHINGTON, DC - Amidst the announcement of another rural Alabama hospital closing - this time in Jacksonville, Alabama, Sen. Doug Jones has introduced a piece of legislation that may help rural hospitals stay open.

Hospitals in Winston County, Roanoke, Chilton County, Florala and Thomasville have all closed within the last few years, and Regional Medical Center in Jacksonville has now been added to that list. Jones introduced Tuesday his first piece of original legislation, the bipartisan Rural Health Liaison Act (RHLA), with Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) as co-sponsors. This legislation will improve coordination among the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other health care stakeholders through the creation of a rural health liaison. The RHLA has already garnered support from the National Rural Health Association and the National Farmers Union.

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Under the RHLA, the newly established Rural Health Liaison would:

• Consult with HHS on rural health issues and improve communication with all federal agencies;
• Provide expertise on rural health care issues;
• Lead and coordinate strategic planning on rural health activities within the USDA; and,
• Advocate on behalf of the health care and relevant infrastructure needs in rural areas.

“Like many states with large rural communities, Alabama faces unique challenges when it comes to providing access to health care for all of our residents,” Jones said. “I’m proud that the first bill I’m introducing as a lead sponsor will help address an issue that affects so many people in my state and across rural America. By establishing a rural health liaison at USDA, we can better coordinate federal resources and expand health care access to Americans who have for too long struggled to receive quality, affordable care in their own communities.”

Alabama's rural hospitals face financial difficulty due in part to a low rate of reimbursement from Medicaid and Medicare. Rural Alabama has one of the nation's lowest reimbursement rates for Medicare, and according to the Alabama Rural Health Association, 52 of Alabama’s 54 rural counties are facing primary care shortages. The state’s rural hospitals are also at risk and many are in immediate danger of closing. All of Alabama’s 54 rural counties are classified as dental shortage areas and mental health care shortage areas for the delivery of service to the low-income population, and only 16 of the 54 counties provide obstetrical service. The RHLA would help to better coordinate the federal resources that are available to these health care providers, according to Jones.

Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images

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