[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 91 (Thursday, July 14, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       MORE ON HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mrs. CLAYTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, as we move forward on health care reform, 
I want to remind my colleagues to be particularly sensitive to the 
special needs of improving the health care in underserved communities, 
both in rural and inner cities.
  The main problems that need to be addressed in order to improve rural 
health care are: The shortage and underpayment of primary care 
provides; the need for capital to upgrade rural facilities; and the 
problems faced by serving fragile, at-risk patients, especially the 
elderly.
  The director of the North Carolina Office of Rural Health, and my 
dear friend, Mr. James D. Bernstein, recommends that to work toward 
solving these problems we must first develop programs that will ensure 
that rural health care practices offer a package of incentives and a 
positive practice environment to attract the providers they need.
  Also, we need to provide both long-term and short-term work force 
strategies, such as scholarships and loan repayment as well as long-
term financial and reimbursement incentives. We must ensure that our 
rural health care facilities receive the funding they need for physical 
upgrades and guarantee rural citizens that their health care will not 
be second class.
  Any health care reform that does not address the needs of rural 
America will not serve or benefit those hard-working families that made 
our country great.

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