[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 56 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 56

 Expressing the sense of the Congress that rural health care should be 
           addressed in any Federal health care legislation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 4, 1995

  Mr. Stupak submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Congress that rural health care should be 
           addressed in any Federal health care legislation.

Whereas 27 percent of Americans live in rural areas;
Whereas many rural residents have poorer general health because they lack access 
        to basic care;
Whereas rural areas lack sufficient resources to provide adequate long-term 
        care;
Whereas rural areas lack an adequate number of medical personnel and have 
        difficulty recruiting and retaining health care professionals;
Whereas rural hospitals and health centers are experiencing financial shortfalls 
        and cannot fulfill all of the medical needs of rural Americans;
Whereas rural areas have a disproportionate share of transportation-dependent 
        individuals (including the elderly, the poor, and the disabled) but do 
        not receive a similar share of Federal transit revenues;
Whereas rural emergency medical services are hampered by long distances, poor 
        road conditions, and limited financial resources; and
Whereas significant numbers of rural persons with mental illnesses find it 
        difficult, if not impossible, to secure needed health care: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that any legislation enacted to 
reform the health care delivery system of the United States should--
            (1) ensure that the unique needs of rural residents are 
        addressed and solved;
            (2) ensure that people who live in rural areas receive the 
        same quality health care as others;
            (3) increase funding for programs that train health care 
        professionals for rural practice and provide incentives for 
        them to practice in rural areas;
            (4) encourage telecommunications consortia and other 
        measures to ensure rural access to emerging medical 
        technologies;
            (5) increase coordination among transportation programs, 
        and increase funding to rural transit programs and to emergency 
        medical services; and
            (6) ensure that rural health care services are coordinated 
        effectively with existing systems and programs of medical, 
        income, residential, and social support at the Federal, State, 
        and local levels.
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