AHA-supported bill targets rural shortage of health care professionals

Mar 25, 2021 - 03:31 PM
maternity-legislation-update

The AHA today voiced support for the Rural America Health Corps Act (S.924), legislation that would establish a Rural America Health Corps modeled on the National Health Service Corps to encourage health care professionals to serve in rural areas. 

The bill provides incentives for clinicians to practice in rural areas and authorizes a Rural Provider Loan Repayment Demonstration Program in which participants who agree to serve full-time for five years in a rural health professional shortage area would be eligible for $200,000 in loan repayments.     

“Health care workforce needs are particularly acute in rural areas,” AHA said in a letter of support for the bill, sponsored by Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Tina Smith, D-Minn. “Recruitment and retention of health care professionals is an ongoing challenge and expense for rural hospitals. … We thank you for your leadership on behalf of the nation’s health care workforce, and we look forward to working with you to enact this important legislation.”
 

Related News Articles

Headline
House E&C Committee advances reconciliation bill
The House Energy and Commerce Committee today advanced by a 30-24 vote along party lines its portion of the fiscal year 2025 reconciliation bill following a…
Headline
RFK Jr. testifies to congressional committees on FY 2026 proposed budget 
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. May 14 testified on President Trump’s discretionary budget proposal for fiscal year…
Headline
House Ways and Means Committee advances its portion of FY 2025 reconciliation bill 
The House Ways and Means Committee today advanced its portion of the fiscal year 2025 reconciliation bill by a 26-19 vote along party lines, following an hours…
Headline
House committee proposes significant Medicaid changes, cuts in reconciliation bill
The House Energy and Commerce Committee late on May 11 released legislative text in advance of the May 13 markup on its portion of the reconciliation bill.…
Headline
Use AHA advocacy resources ahead of May 13 House committee markups 
The House committees with jurisdiction over Medicaid and other health care programs have announced they will begin marking up their portions of the budget…
Headline
AHA expresses support for Save Healthcare Workers Act
The AHA May 8 voiced support for the Save Healthcare Workers Act to House and Senate sponsors of the legislation. The bipartisan bill would make it a federal…