Erie County Legislator John Mills has introduced a resolution to protect the Rural Access to Care Act which attempts to protect small and rural hospitals across the United States, like the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital in Springville.

The Bipartisan Act has been introduced by Congressman Antonio Delgado (D, NY) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and later sponsored by Congressman Chris Jacobs (R, NY).

The Act secures the Critical Access Hospital status of smaller hospitals which provides them with higher reimbursement levels in order to provide medical services to rural communities. In 2015, Critical Access Hospital status changed guidelines on how funding was to be provided based on distance to other health care service providers causing many rural hospitals to shut their doors.

Legislator Mills’ proposed resolution would restore the pre-2015 distance standard, require Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to engage in public notice and comment period, and ensure that hospitals seeking certification or recertification will be subject to the pre-2015 standard.

Legislator Mills said, “Without the funding that would be provided by this act, struggling rural hospitals will be forced with more cut backs, and even permanent closures.  Closing rural health care centers would mean the difference between life and death in an emergency situation. We must not let this happen. Those who live in rural communities deserve to have the same access to healthcare as everyone else.”

A copy of the resolution can be found here.