Letters to the editor: Preserve rural Medicare benefit

Medicare beneficiaries in rural communities depend on home healthcare to remain independent. But this care is at risk. Congress must extend an additional Medicare payment that helps to ensure access to home health for rural seniors.

This “rural safeguard” is available to healthcare agencies delivering care to seniors in remote areas, which costs more because of higher transportation and staffing costs. Rural home health agencies are invaluable to homebound patients who live miles from the closest doctor. For rural seniors, who are typically in poorer health, home health is sometimes the only care option they have.

As healthcare remains at the forefront of policy discussions, it’s important that Congress not overlook the needs of rural seniors. I am calling on our state’s representatives in Congress to extend the rural safeguard.

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