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2013 Congressional Priorities
The National Rural Health Association's Rural Health Policy Institute is the largest rural advocacy event in the country. At the conference you can learn firsthand about the development and implementation of health care policy at the federal level and meet with your members of Congress.NRHA has developed three requests or items for members to ask their senators and representatives to support at the 24th Annual Policy Institute:
1) Modifying the Medicare sequestration process set to begin in March 2013 to avoid disproportionate harm to the rural health safety net.
2) The continuation and strengthening of rural Medicare programs.
3) Appropriate funding levels for rural health programs for the remainder of fiscal year 2013 and fiscal year 2014.
Action Kit
Click here for a document outlining these requests.
Click here for a document on rural Medicare programs designed to protect rural patients access to care and providers ability to provide care.
Click here for a document outlining the economic impact of sequestration on providers.
Click here for a document outlining the contemplated cuts to training and research grant programs.
Click here and here for NRHA's supplemental appropriations documents.
Click here for a copy of NRHA's 2013 Legislative and Regulatory Agenda.
Click here for a copy of NRHA's 2013 Congressional Award Winners press release.
Click here and here for documents outlining the "perfect storm" facing rural hospitals and providers.
For an invite for your Senator or Representative to join the Senate Rural Health Caucus or the House Rural Health Care Coalition, click here.
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Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Act introduced in Senate
The National Rural Health Association supports S. 616, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Act. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), will improve and make permanent the State 30 program.
The Conrad State 30 Program, also known as the J-1 Visa Waiver program, was enacted in 1994 as a national initiative that permits states to recommend visa waivers for physicians recruited to care for patients in rural and underserved areas. The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Act removes the sunset of the program, improves its functioning, and allows it to expand its scope to better meet the needs of rural America.
Click here for NRHA's letter of support.
