Improving Access to Physicians in Medically Underserved Areas

IMPROVING ACCESS TO PHYSICIANS IN MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS -- (House of Representatives - November 17, 2004)

Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2302) to improve access to physicians in medically underserved areas.

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2302. The state of health care is one of the most critical issues facing this Nation. As the world's most powerful and wealthy country, our health care system is unacceptable. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, there are 62 designated Health Professional Shortage Areas in Cook County, Illinois, alone. It is unacceptable that 49 out of the 102 counties in Illinois lack hospitals with any obstetrical services. It is unacceptable that 49 of the 102 counties in Illinois lack hospitals with any psychiatric services. S. 2302 would help address the Nation's health care crisis by encouraging qualified medical professionals to serve in medically underserved areas. Increasing access to primary care providers and specialists would benefit the citizens of Illinois and the country as a whole.

Therefore, this bill is a step in the right direction. However, much work remains to be done to reform our health care system as a whole. We need to ensure that no American is left behind in preventative care. We need to ensure equal access to medical treatments. We need to ensure affordable health insurance. We need to erase the vast disparities in the incidents of illness and death among minorities compared to the overall U.S. population. African-American and Native-American babies die at a rate that is 2 to 3 times higher than the rate for white Americans. African Americans are 1.7 times as likely as white Americans to have diabetes; Latino Americans are twice as likely to have diabetes as their white counterparts.

Mr. Speaker, the state of one's health sets the precedent for everything else in our lives. If we are not in good health, we cannot perform our jobs well or do well in school. We must work toward making quality healthcare accessible and available to all regardless of age, race, or economic status.

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