More than three-quarters of U.S. rural counties are designated health professional shortage areas, and rural Americans are less likely to have insurance coverage and more likely to longer to access healthcare.
Here are three pieces of legislation addressing the rural healthcare gap in 2024:
1. President Joe Biden's 2024 budget included several policies to support rural healthcare systems, including $30 million to provide technical assistance for rural hospitals at risk of closure and expand rural hospital service lines. Another $13 million was allocated for rural healthcare workforce development and another $45 million was dedicated to providing services via telehealth.
2. In May, the House Ways and Means Committee passed the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital and Ambulance Access Act to extend the Medicare telehealth waiver until 2026. The legislation was introduced by Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona.
3. In June, U.S. Sens. Laphonza Butler of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York introduced the Health Innovation Act to address racial disparities in health outcomes by expanding access to preventative care in underserved communities.