Durbin, Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Address Health Care Provider Shortages In Rural Communities

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week reintroduced the bipartisanRural America Health Corps Act. The legislation will address growing health disparities by incentivizing more health professionals to serve and plant roots in rural communities. TheRural America Health Corps Actcreates a new program under the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) National Health Service Corps (NHSC) to test whether an increased loan repayment amount and longer service commitment would better enhance recruitment and retention of doctors, nurses, dentists, and behavioral health providers in rural areas. Compared to the national average of 39 percent, only 26 percent of NHSC clinicians in Illinois serve in rural areas.
“Patients in rural Illinois deserve to have access to quality health care, but serious workforce shortages force patients to wait months or travel long distances to see a medical provider,”Durbin said.“My bipartisan bill with Senator Blackburn would provide new funding and support for rural communities by expanding loan repayment programs so we can attract and retain more doctors, nurses, physician assistants, dentists, and behavioral health specialists in every corner of our state.”
“Far too few health professionals are rooted in rural America due to workforce challenges, and we need to incentivize more full-time health professionals to serve in our rural communities,”said Blackburn.“The bipartisanRural America Health Corps Actwould attract and retain talented clinicians to plant roots in our small towns by helping individuals who agree to work full time in rural areas repay their student loans.”
Cosponsoring the legislation are U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). U.S. Representatives Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) and David Kustoff (R-MS-08) have introduced companion legislation in the House.
Nearly 100 million Americans live in communities with too few doctors, and half the country lives in a mental health care desert. It is estimated that the United States needs 450,000 nurses over the next two years and is projected to face a shortage of 120,000 physicians over the next decade. One of the biggest barriers is the high cost of pursuing graduate education for health care providers, which can leave new doctors with an average debt of more than $200,000.
The NHSC addresses these workforce shortages and health disparities by enticing promising students from diverse backgrounds into health careers in underserved communities by providing scholarship and loan repayment funding in exchange for a service commitment in an urban or rural area. Nationwide, more than 18 million patients were delivered care by NHSC providers. Across Illinois, more than 835 clinicians with the NHSC serve in community health centers and hospitals.
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