[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 139 (Wednesday, September 30, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H10074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RURAL HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, in the current health care debate we are 
overlooking access to health care in rural America. For families living 
in rural towns all across Kansas and America, access to quality health 
care is often the primary concern. In fact, right now, less than 10 
percent of our physicians serve 25 percent of our population.
  In order to improve access to quality medical care, we need to start 
with three basic reforms. First, we should reimburse providers for the 
full cost of care so rural medical professionals can do their job of 
curing and healing. Second, we should repay enormous debt incurred 
through medical school so more young people enter general practice and 
practice care in smaller towns. Finally, the Federal Government should 
stop picking winners and losers with its coverage decisions in urban 
versus rural health care, because in every case, rural health care gets 
shortchanged.
  We should focus on reforms needed to solve the health care crisis in 
rural Kansas and in rural America, and, in doing so, we will improve 
health care delivery to the rest of the Nation. Without addressing 
these exploding costs or recognition that we need to focus on training 
new practitioners, the access problems plaguing rural America will only 
get worse.

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