Federal Legislation Aims to Expand Support for Rural Health Providers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Making sure people living in rural places have access to emergency services is something congressional members have been working on for awhile. One congressional member said having those emergency healthcare services provides safety and security for people who need it the most and are looking to expand access for those services. 

In 2020, congress passed a law establishing Rural Emergency Hospitals (REH) as a new Medicare provider to respond to rural hospital closures and give rural communities more access to healthcare. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said REH’s help provide emergency department services, observation care and additional outpatient medical and health services. 

Congressman Jack Bergman (R- MI) who represents Michigan's Upper Peninsula, understands the needs for emergency services in his district after Aspirius Ontonagon Hospital converted into a rural health clinic with no emergency services.  

“Safety and security is our primary responsibility and part of that security is to know that a person can get healthcare when they need it,” said Rep. Bergman.  

Rep. Bergman is spearheading bipartisan legislation that would include REH as eligible for 340b, which requires pharmaceutical manufactures participating in Medicaid to sell outpatient drugs at discounted prices to health care organizations that care for many uninsured and low-income patients. Adding this program into REH’s could help make the difference in communities. 

“[Our legislation is] basically drug cost reduction to fund rural hospitals and part of that is for hospitals to be able to create an environment for 24-hour emergency care because when people get sick or when people get hurt especially in rural areas, it’s not like you just drive two blocks to the emergency room,” said Rep. Bergman. “So this is common sense when it comes to providing for our rural and remote communities.”