WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Susan Collins (R-ME), and Representatives Susie Lee (D-NV) and Richard Hudson (R-NC), applauded the news that their bipartisan, bicameral Maximizing Outcomes through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment for (MOBILE) Health Care Act has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is now headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law after passing the Senate earlier this month. The legislation provides community health centers with the flexibility to use federal funds to establish new, mobile health care delivery sites to increase access to health care services in rural and underserved communities.
“Too many of Nevada’s rural and underserved communities lack permanent health centers and reliable health care, which make mobile health centers indispensable in reaching them,” said Senator Rosen. “We have to make health care more accessible, which is why I’m thrilled that my bipartisan bill to provide greater resources to expand mobile health clinics is on its way to the President’s desk to become law.”
“Community health centers in Maine and across the country play an indispensable role in ensuring that rural and underserved communities receive affordable and quality health care,” said Senator Collins. “The MOBILE Health Care Act would help community health centers further expand their reach to the most rural parts of our state by giving them greater flexibility and allowing them to bring clinics even closer to the patients they serve.”
“The pandemic laid bare longstanding inequities in our health care system, and I’m fighting to make health care more accessible to Nevadans, no matter where they live,” said Rep. Susie Lee. “Federally-Qualified Health Centers provide essential care for thousands of Nevada families who need it. With the passage of this bill, we’re one step closer to ensuring that every Nevadan has access to the care they deserve. I’m so proud that the House and Senate voted to pass this important legislation, and I look forward to President Biden signing this bill into law.”
“The MOBILE Health Care Act is critical to improve health care quality and access across our country, especially in rural and underserved areas,” said Rep. Richard Hudson. “I have heard directly from community health centers in North Carolina and across the country about the positive impact this bill and the flexibilities it provides would have on communities and patients, and I look forward to getting it across the finish line.”
“On behalf of Community Health Centers and the 30 million patients they serve, I want to thank Senator Jacky Rosen and Senator Susan Collins for pushing this important bill to extend access to high-quality primary care to rural communities through an expansion of mobile clinics,” said Rachel Gonzales-Hanson, Interim President and CEO of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). “Nearly half of health centers are located in rural and frontier communities, but we know there is still unmet need. Additional mobile health clinics have the potential to leverage the reach of health centers and fully serve hard-to-reach across the country patients.”
“The Nevada Primary Care Association is comprised of the state’s Community Health Centers which provide integrated primary care, behavioral health and dental care to more than 111,000 Nevadans annually,” said Nancy Bowen, CEO, Nevada Primary Care Association. “We are profoundly grateful to Congresswoman Susie Lee and Senator Rosen for passing the MOBILE Health Care Act to make it easier for our health centers to finance mobile health units. These mobile units may offer primary or dental care or provide specialty services such as mammography to sparsely populated rural areas or to underserved populations in our urban centers. This can include visiting homeless resource centers or senior housing where residents have limited ability to travel for care. Some of Nevada’s rural areas cannot support permanent medical facilities, making this bill revolutionary for the health centers seeking to provide these communities with health care.”
Senator Rosen has been a champion for expanding access to quality, affordable health care in Nevada. Last month, she helped secure a three-year extension for health insurance premium subsidies as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Senator Rosen has also led the charge to increase access to health care in rural communities, including by addressing Nevada’s doctor shortage and reducing the financial burdens on medical students serving in their residencies.
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