On November 3, 2021, Congressman A. Donald McEachin and Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the bicameral Rural Health Equity Act. If passed, the legislation would establish an Office of Rural Health within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to a press release issued by Representative McEachin, Americans living in rural areas are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than their urban counterparts. Complicating the situation, residents of these areas also can face limited access to specialty medical care, exposures to additional environmental hazards, and inadequate year-round recreational opportunities to promote physical activity. Communities of color, veterans, and LGBTQ+ individuals may also face limited access to culturally-competent and inclusive health care and services.
The CDC Office of Rural Health would be responsible for a variety of tasks, including:
- Identifying and improving health disparities and challenges faced by rural communities
- Serving as the primary point of contract within the CDC on matters pertaining to rural health and coordinating with the agency to develop and promulgate policies and programs to improve health care and services for rural populations
- Conducting, coordinating, promoting, and disseminating research regarding public health issues impacting rural populations – including rural minority and LGBTQ+ populations
- Administering grants and contracts to provide technical assistance to support activities related to improving health and health care in rural areas.
The Office of Rural Health would also identify disparities in the availability and accessibility of health care and public health interventions for rural populations.
The legislation notes that $10,000,000 should be appropriated annually for the Office of Rural Health, beginning with fiscal year 2022.
Sponsor Comments
According to Representative McEachin, “Millions of Americans living in rural areas throughout the country face challenges in accessing health care services and unique threats to their health and well-being. Geographic constraints, higher safety and environmental risks, and a lack of inclusive and culturally-competent services can lead to serious disparities in public health outcomes for rural Americans.” He believes that the Rural Health Equity Act would “protect the interests of rural residents…throughout the nation, and promote better health outcomes for all.”
Senator Merkley echoed those sentiments, saying, “Folks living in rural communities deserve national policy makers’ attention to the problems they face. It’s time to move beyond the one-size-fits-all approach to tackling our national health challenges and ensure that we are making progress on improving health disparities faced specifically by rural Americans.”
Supporting Comments
The National Rural Health Association applauds the legislation, saying, “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the structural barriers facing rural Americans have become increasingly evident, and has exacerbated the need for rural representation within the CDC. NRHA believes the creation of an Office of Rural Health within the CDC will play a pivotal role in supporting rural public health agencies as they serve their communities through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and as they prepare for future public health crises.”
“Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA) supports the proposed federal bill creating an Office of Rural Health in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” said Danielle Sobel, Senior Director of Policy and Government Affairs, OPCA. “The complexities and barriers to rural health care is often overlooked or misunderstood; this legislation provides a meaningful and purposeful vehicle for addressing rural health care with the focus of a dedicated staff and resources within the CDC. Seventy-five percent of Oregon’s community health center serve rural and frontier patients, we look forward to the fruits of this legislation.”