ASA-Supported Legislation to Increase Access to Rural Anesthesia Introduced in House

On Monday, June 12, ASA-supported bipartisan legislation to expand rural access to physician anesthesiologists was introduced in the House of Representatives. H.R. 2881, the Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act, was introduced by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-05), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-01) and Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI-04) and has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. This legislation is similar to legislation introduced last Congress that did not advance.

Many rural areas of the country face challenges in recruiting and retaining physicians to serve rural patients. This legislation reforms Medicare's rural incentive payment for all types of anesthesia providers and extends rural hospitals' access to physician anesthesiologists. Under this legislation, rural hospitals could expand access to physician anesthesiologist services and be able to more readily recruit and retain physician anesthesiologists who may want to serve their rural communities, providing greater access to physician care.

ASA thanks Congresswoman Jenkins, Congressman Cleaver and Congressman Moolenaar for their continued leadership on rural access to safe anesthesia care.

Find a copy of the bill here.

Read Congresswoman Jenkin's Press Release on the legislation here.