Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Boost Access to Quality Health Care in Rural Areas
WASHINGTON, DC – Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06) and Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-02) introduced bipartisan legislation this week that would boost Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACO’s) for patients and health care providers in rural areas. The ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2016 would create new options within the Medicare Shared Savings Program to increase patient access to quality care while reducing costs in underserved areas. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
Under the bill, Medicare patients assigned to an ACO would be allowed to obtain treatment from nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, and registered dieticians or nutrition professionals. Through these changes, ACO assignments would be more effective in rural communities that have too few primary care physicians. It would also provide more participants to health care providers who participate in ACOs so they can be successful over the long-term.
“Many Medicare patients on the Peninsula have a hard time just finding a doctor,” said Kilmer. “Our bipartisan bill gives them more options for finding quality care at local facilities that will keep them healthy without breaking the bank. At the same time, it rewards health care providers who are focused on improving the quality of care and putting their patients first. I’d like to thank Senator Cantwell for introducing this legislation in the Senate and working to get this done.”
“We need to do everything we can to put rural healthcare providers in a position to succeed so that folks in rural areas have access to the high-quality healthcare they deserve,” said Congresswoman Jenkins. “This legislation would help folks in Eastern Kansas and rural communities everywhere by expanding the choices patients have, and it will provide a way for those providers to create stronger, patient-focused healthcare networks that save patients time and money and provide high-quality care.”
ACO’s are groups of hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers who voluntarily join together to coordinate care for a specific patient population. In ACO’s, health care providers are responsible for effectively managing the health and wellness of patients: when an ACO delivers high-quality care at a lower cost than traditional fee-for-service spending, the ACO recoups part of the savings. Created by Congress in 2010, the Medicare Shared Savings Programs is voluntary and enables health care providers to share savings with Medicare if they beat cost targets and achieve specified quality measures.