Roger Marshall: “I speak on behalf of rural America, Mr. Speaker. It is an issue that is bipartisan. It is an issue that is of great…”

“I speak on behalf of rural America, Mr. Speaker. It is an issue that is bipartisan. It is an issue that is of great concern to an awful lot of Americans. Last night in his State of the Union Address the President said all seniors should have the choice of a health care plan that provides prescription drugs. I hope that the President's plan when it comes out takes the opportunity to address some of the weak points in Medicare and to truly provide access to prescription drugs for seniors throughout the United States, including in rural areas. At the moment, Mr. Speaker, the formula for deciding how to reimburse medical providers discriminates against providers that are in rural areas. In my district we have had two rural hospitals close in the last 2 or 3 years. One closed, then reopened, and went through two or three different sets of management. We have had a number of rural hospitals that have struggled just to make ends meet. This is caused in part by our funding formula under Medicare, and I hope the President in crafting his plan for prescription drugs and for Medicare reform will take into account the need to protect rural areas, to protect the citizens that are in rural areas, and to protect the economies of rural areas.”