Proposed Bill Would Expand Care Access in Rural Areas

New legislation, introduced in both the House and Senate Tuesday by Hawaii's Congressional delegation, would fund preventive healthcare training for students who would provide treatment for patients living in underserved, rural areas.

According to the news release, 59.5 million Americans live in rural communities — about 20 percent of the entire country's population — and many of those people lack access to affordable healthcare.

The bill, dubbed the Rural Preventive Health Care Training Act, aims to fix that problem. It would provide students who are interested in careers in preventive care with a stipend to attend a community college or other institution that serves rural communities, according to the release. It would also increase support staff so the preventive care programs the students attend can become self-reliant in the long term.

More Articles on Healthcare Access:

Nevada Bill Would Allow NPs to Practice Independently
Alabama Professor: Rural Hospitals Must Merge or Risk Closure in 2013
South Dakota Task Force Releases Recommendations for Primary Care

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