| WRHA Supports... |
Legislative Health Care Strategies |
| • and promotes a philosophy of "DO NO HARM." Regulatory and policy decisions effect on rural health care delivery systems must be known and considered before those decisions impose unintended consequences in rural Washington. |
Unintended consequences are a concern for all citizens of Washington. WRHA is eager to participate in the discussions this Session to help avoid unintended consequences to the rural health care system.
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• and promotes policies which strengthen rural economic development by recognizing healthcare as a major component in the economic fiber of rural Washington, and healthy economy as essential to a healthy community.
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Maintaining and building a strong healthcare infrastructure is key to the economic development and sustainability of rural communities. This includes recruiting health care providers and stabilizing funding for public health.
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• the removal of barriers interfering with access to appropriate levels of health care including primary, preventative, mental health and dental care, within their local community.
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Barriers can be economic, geographic or programmatic. In rural areas:
- Economic barriers include health insurance availability, cost, and practice costs
- Geographic barriers, including travel distances, seasonal weather conditions, and distribution of primary and ancillary services (e.g. dental, mental, and chronic disease care), affect both residents and tourists.
- Programmatic barriers are created when programs require services that have limited providers.
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• legislation for meaningful tort reform allowing patients to be fairly compensated for their losses while protecting healthcare providers and the communities they serve.
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The current tort environment drives good providers out of state or into early retirement, limits the recruitment pool of credentialed providers, and is a significant barrier to access.
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• policies requiring insurance carriers to offer services in rural areas and work with rural providers. Rising costs of premiums offered by fewer carriers and limited preferred providers can be a barrier.
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Incentives should be provided to health carriers that offer coverage to rural communities. Often the expertise is available but the program requirements are narrowly written and unintentionally exclude rural providers.
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• recruitment and retention of health care personnel through financial incentives, professional and personal development, and healthy community infrastructure.
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Healthcare personnel recruitment, training, and retention rely on a strong rural economy and removal of barriers to access as noted.
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• the affordability and availability of appropriate telehealth infrastructure to facilitate the exchange of expertise to and among rural locations.
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Expanded use of telemedicine can help expand access to services and break down geographic and programmatic barriers.
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