Salinas Says Proposal Will Help Rural Americans See Specialists

A rural Oregon healthcare program could soon become the model for a nationwide pilot project.  Congresswoman Andrea Salinas is behind a bipartisan effort to expand access to medical specialists.

“We know that access to specialty care services is more limited for so many rural communities," Salinas said.  "And we’ve heard stories about people who have had to go far distances in snowstorms to basically deliver their babies or to get life-saving treatment.”

Her Ensuring Access to Specialty-Care Everywhere,  or EASE Act, is based on a program in Central Oregon, at the La Pine Community Health Center.

“That use telehealth to essentially reduce wait times," she noted.  "And it helped improve coordination between primary care providers.”

Under the bill, rural Medicare and Medicaid patients could visit their local doctor to access specialists, who are often hours away.  Click Here to read the entire EASE Act.

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