I am writing to you today to discuss the crisis in rural healthcare. As you may know, and as many of you have likely experienced, access to basic healthcare in much of rural Missouri is under assault.
Hospitals across the state have been forced to shutter their doors this year, and more are on the brink. People who live nearby must travel hours for basic care— even worse, for emergencies.
The latest local facility in danger is the Iron County Medical Center, which is losing money rapidly because it cares for a high number of elderly and uninsured patients. Private insurance companies get to choose what they’ll reimburse to the center, and they’re getting pickier. That means Iron County Medical Center, and everyone who relies on it, gets the short end of the stick while insurance companies get richer.
Let’s be clear— a hospital’s ability to provide medical services to patients shouldn’t depend on how much money their patients make or how old they are.
“This bankruptcy is a microcosm of the nation’s broken health-care system. The federal government veers between compassion and cost control, some states stint on care for the needy and many small towns find themselves in health-care deserts.”-- (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Our healthcare system simply isn't working.
I believe that healthcare is a right, and that means the right to access care facilities where you live at a reasonable rate. I support Medicare for All, and will work to move our country towards a system of universal coverage— one that is affordable and will cover more people in more places.
Everyone knows someone, or has had a personal experience themselves, with the broken facets of our healthcare system. We’re calling on you to share your story:
Click here to share your healthcare story, or to tell us why improving our country’s healthcare system is important to you.
Thank you for adding your voice to this fight. Together, we can make better healthcare a reality.
Sincerely,
