As part of the Committee’s efforts to expand access to health care for more Americans, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) today released an open letter to the medical community and announced bold policies. We asked for comments and opinions on solutions focused on. This could help turn the tide against the very real disparities in access to care that exist for millions of Americans, especially those living in rural and underserved communities. There is.
“With fewer health care workers, consolidation of care, and patchwork funding models, patients across the country are facing facility closures, increased travel distances, and increased wait times.” Revenue Commissioner Smith wrote:. “This access challenge is extremely difficult for patients and families living in rural and underserved areas of America… The Committee identifies how geographic barriers, unequal Medicare payment incentives, and consolidation are causing facility closures and workforce shortages, negatively impacting overall access to health care; Innovative care models and technologies will improve this care. The Committee will focus on solutions to reshape our nation’s health care system and bring new access to health care to rural and underserved areas, and will engage a wide range of stakeholders in these policy areas. We are looking for your opinion. It is not enough to simply extend the broken status quo. Instead, the committee will explore bold new solutions to encourage access to care and improve our nation’s health for future generations. ”
As part of his open letter requesting information, Chairman Smith highlights five key areas of concern:
- Payment disparities between different geographic regions.
- the long-term financial health of healthcare providers and facilities;
- Payment for the same care provided at different service facilities.
- We welcome new professionals to the healthcare workforce.
- Innovative care models and technologies that improve patient outcomes.
Key facts about disparities in access to health care:
- Patients living in rural America must travel twice as far to access basic primary care services compared to patients in urban areas.
- The number of local independent pharmacies has declined by more than 16% over the past 20 years.
- Between 2005 and 2022, 178 local hospitals closed, and more than 600 are at risk of closure.
- The shortage of medical workers is expected to exceed 100,000 doctors and 1 million nurses.
Read the full letter here.
