Honolulu Reporter

Washington, D.C. – Recently, Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) introduced the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Burden Reduction Act. This legislation would modernize RHC regulations to ensure RHCs can effectively treat patients.

The members released the following statements:

“For so many in rural and underserved communities, their only means of accessing health care is through a rural health clinic. Communities in my district are not just rural, they are remote. Access to critical and specialty care on our Neighbor islands often requires travel by air transport. That is why rural health clinics are life savers, helping to stabilize and triage patients in these communities,” said Rep. Tokuda. I am proud to support the RHC Burden Reduction Act. This bipartisan bill will modernize the 30-year-old law governing rural health clinics to increase operational flexibility for facilities and remove outdated regulations that restrict providers’ ability to treat patients.”

“Rural Health Clinics are integral partners in the delivery of health care in rural and underserved communities,” said Rep. Smith. “There are 115 RHCs in Nebraska’s Third District, and we must ensure overly burdensome regulations are not barriers to Rural Health Clinics’ ability to treat patients. This bipartisan bill will address erroneous and outdated regulations, and I look forward to working with Rep. Blumenauer to move our proposal through the legislative process.”

“Rural health clinics are a lifeline for millions of Americans in rural communities across the country,” said Rep. Blumenauer “We must do more to support these clinics—this starts with eliminating outdated and arcane barriers that prevent clinics from effectively serving the communities that depend on them.”

“North Dakota’s 57 rural health clinics provide vital care to communities across our state,” said Congressman Armstrong. “I’m proud to support this bipartisan bill that will remove outdated and ineffective regulations and increase access to care for patients in rural areas.”

The RHC Burden Reduction Act provides regulatory relief and increases operational flexibility for clinics. The 5,200 RHCs nationwide provide services in rural and underserved areas, operating either independently or affiliated with a hospital with fewer than 50 beds, and are an essential access point for primary care services.

RHCs are currently subject to unique regulations – some of which have never been updated since the RHC program launched in 1977. This legislation would remove outdated regulations requiring onsite laboratory equipment, expand the ability of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants to provide care in RHCs, and improve access to telehealth by allowing clinics to function as a distant site for telehealth services.

“The Hawaiʻi State Rural Health Association (HSRHA) applauds Representative Tokuda’s forward thinking and leadership in collaborating with her colleagues in the House of Representatives to introduce the Rural Health Clinic Burden Reduction Act. This legislation is essential to provide critically needed heath care in Hawaiʻi’s rural and remote neighbor island locations. Nearly six in ten residents of Hawaiʻi have experienced health care delays in the past year while over one in three have cut back on medical care or medicine due to financial constraints. Allowing RHCs to be more flexible with staffing requirements would help address the critical workforce shortage in the state. Additionally, as the entire State of Hawaiʻi is considered a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, expanding RHCs’ behavioral health care delivery could relieve stress on a strained system. These provisions will modernize and strengthen the RHC program and better enable RHCs to continue their mission of providing health care in the rural and underserved regions of Hawaiʻi and the rest of the nation. We are lucky to have a such a strong advocate with Rep. Tokuda,” said Lisa Rantz, President of the Hawaiʻi State Rural Health Association.

"By modernizing statutory provisions first created in 1977 we can reduce administrative burdens and unlock the Rural Health Clinic program's full potential," said Nathan Baugh, Executive Director for the National Association of Rural Health Clinics. "This bipartisan legislation presents a very realistic opportunity to eliminate outdated red tape for our nation's 5,200 RHCs."

“The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) applauds Representatives Smith and Blumenauer for their work to provide regulatory relief Rural Health Clinics. The Rural Health Clinic Burden Reduction Act makes critical efforts to modernize the 30+ year old law governing rural health clinics across the country, removing unnecessary and outdated regulations that impact access. This legislation is a common-sense step to enhance health care in rural areas throughout our country,” said Alan Morgan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Rural Health Association.

The RHC Burden Reduction Act is supported by numerous stakeholder groups including the Hawaiʻi State Rural Health Association, the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC), the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), and the Nebraska Rural Health Association (NeRHA).

Original source can be found here.