Baldwin and Bipartisan Group of Senators Highlight Need for Quality Health Care in Rural America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), Jon Tester (D-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Heidi Heitkamp, (D-ND) and 36 other senators in sending a letter today to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price regarding health care in rural America.

The letter emphasizes the importance of rural health-care providers and their critical role in rural communities.

“As you take on this new leadership role at HHS, we request that you work with us to ensure that the federal government does not act as an impediment to providing health care in rural communities,” the senators wrote. “Overreaching and onerous regulations from Washington disproportionately harm rural America. We believe that together we can enact and implement effective policies that help providers innovate in care delivery and enable them to make efficient use of available resources.”

More than 80 rural hospitals have closed in recent years. Some estimates show another 700 rural hospitals are at risk of closure.

In addition to  Baldwin, Wicker, Tester, Grassley and Heitkamp, the letter was signed by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) Bob Casey (D-PA), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Crapo (R-ID) Steve Daines (D-MT), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Al Franken (D-MN) Cory Gardner (R-CO), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dean Heller (R-NV), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John McCain (R-AZ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), David Perdue (R-GA), James Risch (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) John Thune (R-SD), Tom Udall (D-NM) and Todd Young (R-IN).

A copy of the letter is available here.