FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Hearing on Rural Healthcare Costs and Access

Original title: HEALTH CARE IN RURAL AMERICA: EXAMINING EXPERIENCES AND COSTS

January 1, 2020

healthcare rural development medical costs health insurance telehealth

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing serves as a formal record of expert testimony and legislative inquiry into the drivers of rural healthcare costs, which informs future federal policy regarding hospital funding, insurance regulation, and telehealth expansion.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Rural residents

The policies discussed in this hearing directly impact the availability and cost of medical services in their communities.

Healthcare providers

Rural hospitals and physicians are subject to the regulatory and funding changes discussed by the committee.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security held a discussion on September 25, 2018, to examine the challenges of healthcare costs and access in rural America. The hearing featured testimony from state insurance officials, health technology advocates, hospital executives, and physicians to explore potential policy solutions.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on September 25, 2018, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The session was convened by the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security to address rural healthcare experiences and costs.
Witnesses included representatives from state insurance departments, health technology associations, hospital systems, and medical practice.
The hearing was part of a broader series of committee discussions led by Chairman Lamar Alexander regarding healthcare costs across the U.S. system.
Senator Enzi noted the existence of a bipartisan rural caucus aimed at identifying solutions for rural healthcare challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

The hearing was held to examine the specific challenges, costs, and experiences of patients and providers in rural healthcare settings.

Who testified at the hearing?

Testimony was provided by Tom Glause (Wyoming Department of Insurance), Morgan Reed (Connected Health Initiative), Alan Levine (Ballad Health), and Dr. Deborah Richter (Vermont Healthcare for All).

Why It Matters

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Focus on Rural Healthcare

The hearing highlights a specific legislative effort to bridge the gap between rural healthcare challenges and federal policy through a dedicated rural caucus.

Mike Enzi Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security

Connected Entities

personDeborah Richter“Family Physician and Chair, Vermont Healthcare for All”Map →

personMike Enzi“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security”Map →

personBernard Sanders“Ranking Member of the Subcommittee”Map →

personTom Glause“Commissioner, Wyoming Department of Insurance”Map →

personAlan Levine“CEO, Ballad Health”Map →

personMorgan Reed“President, App Association; Executive Director, Connected Health Initiative”Map →

organizationSubcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security“Senate body conducting the hearing”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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