DAILY MAIL WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON - As he competes to represent one of the most ruralcongressional districts in the nation, Democrat Jim Humphreys todaylaid out his ideas for improving health care and health service inpoor and hard to reach areas. Saying "the residents of rural WestVirginia deserve the same access and opportunity for quality healthcare that those living in the big cities do," Humphreys said hewould fight in Congress to see that rural residents' health needsare not overlooked.
Humphreys faces Republican Shelley Moore Capito and LibertarianJohn Brown for the open 2nd Congressional District seat. IncumbentRep. Bob Wise, D-W.Va., is running for governor.
Several of Humphreys' proposals - including a patients' bill ofrights and Medicare prescription drug benefit - are familiar toanyone who has caught the Charleston attorney's televisioncommercials.
His plan also presses for the restoration of money cut fromMedicare by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Humphreys advocateseliminating a 15 percent cut to home health agencies set to go intoeffect next year. Legislative proposals in Congress, which likelywill be part of a final budget and legislative agreement, wouldmerely move back those cuts an additional year.
But if the patient can't get to the hospital, the hospital shouldcome to the patient, Humphreys proposes. He suggests funds for"roving rural hospitals," groups of nurses and medical assistantsthat can treat patients in their homes.
He also calls for increased funding for telemedicine and to easea potential nursing shortage he called alarming. And he supportsexpanding the Children's Health Insurance Program to more uninsuredchildren.
Humphreys' Republican opponent Capito, a state House of Delegatesmember, was one of the original sponsors of the state's children'shealth legislation.
No comments:
Post a Comment