Davis Says Rural Resources Make-or-break in Health Care Reform

Congressman Lincoln Davis says he judges health care overhaul proposals by how well they treat rural areas.

The Pall Mall Democrat is a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition. In July, several members of the group negotiated a compromise to the House health care bill that would revamp the way Medicare reimbursement rates are set. Currently, doctors in rural areas are paid less than those in cities. But language wasn’t actually added into the bill until last week, and the Senate version doesn’t address the reimbursement disparity at all.

Davis says doctors leave rural areas because of the lower reimbursement rate. That’s the kind of detail that’s a deal-breaker for him.

“If we don’t have equity in rural areas, then I will definitely oppose this legislation.”

Davis would also like to see more federal support for primary care clinics in rural communities.