Medicare and Medicaid: Improving Rural Access to Specialists
A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
The bill has strong bipartisan support and addresses a popular issue like rural healthcare, but it still needs to clear the committee process and secure funding.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Pregnant individuals who qualify for pregnancy-related Medicaid assistance in rural areas are explicitly listed as eligible for the new specialty telehealth model, which could mean easier access to specialists like maternal-fetal medicine doctors without long travel. The benefit only applies to those enrolled through networks CMS selects for the pilot.
“meets all components for eligibility for medical assistance, child health assistance, or pregnancy-related assistance (as applicable)”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Rep. Rob Wittman discusses co-sponsoring the bipartisan Ensuring Access to Specialty Care Everywhere (EASE) Act, which would connect rural patients to specialists through a virtual provider network, reducing the need for hours of travel to reach medical appointments.
The EASE Act aims to use existing CMMI funds to test a virtual network to expand access to specialty care among underserved populations. The network would leverage virtual care modalities like eConsults and telehealth to connect patients with clinicians in cardiology, neurology, and more.
The Equal Access to Specialty Care Everywhere (EASE) Act is highlighted as a key solution to break down barriers to health care access and reduce costs by expanding telehealth opportunities for underserved patients who need specialized care for chronic conditions.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
EASE Act
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