In today’s Item, you will read a story about a bill that District 40 Senator Angela Burks Hill proposed this year.
Through Senate Bill 2185, she is hoping to do away with mileage requirements that have prohibited some rural clinics from opening in areas where they are needed most.
There are many exemptions to the mileage rule, including ERs, state funded services and federally funded health systems.
However, rural health clinics are not exempt and are important to areas with little to no health care services.
A low-income family may not have reliable transportation to travel out of town for healthcare.
Even though there may be a hospital within a manageable distance, people could opt to go to a health clinic rather than utilizing the emergency room.
The inclusion of rural health clinics will also provide an economic impact and access to healthcare to areas that need it the most.
These health clinics will also provide jobs and may attract new businesses to the area.
We hope Senator Hill is successful in her endeavor to bring affordable and quality health care to rural areas in Mississippi.
We are certain that access to quality healthcare is a top concern for residents.
A 30-minute drive versus a 5-minute drive to a medical facility may save the life of your loved ones.
In Mississippi, there are 34 counties with no pediatrician and several with no MD, Senior Vice-President of Strategy and Business Development for Children’s International Medical Group said in the story.
With this bill, that number would probably decrease so we hope it is successful.