WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced that after her bipartisan push, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday approved a proposal to increase federal funding to connect rural health care providers to high-speed internet through the Rural Health Care (RHC) program— the first increase for the program in over 20 years.

“The FCC’s Rural Health Care Program has helped rural health providers expand telemedicine and deliver advanced medical care to children, seniors, veterans, and others in hard-to-reach communities. It’s great news for rural America that the FCC listened to our request and took action, and this announced increase in federal funding is a needed step toward expanding high-speed internet in rural America, where we still face hurdles to connectivity,” Heitkamp said. “Thank you to the FCC Commissioners for making sure the needs of rural providers are met and for listening to my calls for action. Every person in rural America deserves reliable access to quality, affordable health care— and this news is an important moment as we address a rising demand for rural telemedicine services and improve the health care options for rural patients.”

Last month, Heitkamp led a bipartisan group of 30 other U.S. Senators— including U.S. Senator John Hoeven— in urging FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to strengthen the RHC program to address the shortage of broadband connectivity for rural health care providers. The RHC program has been improving the quality of health care available in rural America since 1997, but has never previously seen a funding increase despite increased demand.

The FCC will increase the annual cap on RHC program spending by almost 43 percent, which will also reverse cuts for the current funding year under the previous cap.

Background

Heitkamp has long pushed to improve and expand health services for North Dakotans in rural and remote areas. In January, she introduced bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Smith, and others to strengthen rural health care delivery systems and improve access to high quality services for individuals living in rural and underserved areas. The bill passed out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in February.

Heitkamp also secured several important provisions boosting rural health in the bipartisan budget agreement signed into law in February, including provisions to support Community Health Centers, extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), support low-income children and at-risk pregnant women and parents, and repeal the cap on occupational therapy. In 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) heeded her call to make sure rural communities are better prioritized in the federal government through the creation of a Rural Health Council to take rural health care into account when federal rules are written.

In 2016, Heitkamp unveiled a series of bills that would make sure the federal government is listening closely to the needs and challenges of rural communities in North Dakota and across the country when accessing critical resources like health care. Click here for more information. 

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