Ron Paul Quotes.com 2006 Ron Paul Chapter 85 Ron Paul Quotes.com: Introduction Of The Enhanced Options For Rural Health Care Act 25 September 2006 Home Page   Contents Congressional Record   Cached Not linked on Ron Paul’s Congressional website.

Introduction Of The Enhanced Options For Rural Health Care Act 25 September 2006 HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Monday, September 25, 2006 2006 Ron Paul 85:1 Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, September 21, I introduced the Enhanced Options for Health Care Act (H.R. 6154). This legislation allows critical access hospitals to use beds designated for critical access use, but currently not being used for that purpose, for assisted living services financed by private payments. 2006 Ron Paul 85:2 This bill will help improve the financial status of small rural hospitals and extend the health care options available to people living in rural areas without increasing federal expenditures. Currently, fear that rural hospitals will lose critical access status if beds designated for critical access are used for another purpose is causing rural hospitals to allow beds not needed for a critical access purpose to remain unused. This deprives rural hospitals of a much- needed revenue stream and deprives residents of rural areas of access to needed health care services. 2006 Ron Paul 85:3 My colleagues may be interested to know that the idea for this bill comes from Marcella Henke, an administrator of Jackson County Hospital, a critical access hospital in my congressional district. Ms. Henke conceived of this idea as a way to meet the increasing demand for assisted living services in rural areas and provide hospitals with a profitable way use beds not being used for critical access purposes. I urge my colleagues to embrace this practical way of strengthening rural health care without increasing federal expenditures by cosponsoring the Enhanced Options for Rural Health Care Act (H.R. 6154).

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