WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Susie Lee's bipartisan MOBILE Health Care Act passed out of the House and now heads to President Biden's desk to be signed into law. Rep. Lee (D-NV), a longtime champion for expanded access to health care, introduced the MOBILE Health Care Act with Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA), and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC). This bill would expand access to health care by allowing Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to use New Access Point (NAP) grants for establishing mobile health units to increase access to affordable, quality health care in rural and underserved communities.
"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."
"Folks in rural areas often struggle to obtain convenient health care as they face long drives, high gas prices, and other barriers," said Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. "Mobile medical units are a great solution; they can bring those necessary medical services to patients, in turn making it more likely rural residents get the care they need. I'm proud the House passed our legislation expanding the use of these mobile medical units and making health care access better in rural communities throughout Southwest Washington"
"As a physician, I know firsthand the difference community health centers' mobile clinics make in expanding access to affordable, quality care in rural and underserved communities," said Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D. "The House passage of my bill with Congresswoman Lee, the MOBILE Health Care Act, will help our local health centers provide care to our hardest-to-reach populations with much-needed services like mobile units. Once signed into law, this bipartisan legislation will make a positive difference in the lives of my constituents and improve health outcomes here in our region and across the country."
"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 thank Representatives Susie Lee, Raul Ruiz, and Jaime Herrera Beutler for their dedicated bipartisan partnership on this bill. 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 more than 30 million patients they serve, I want to thank Representative Susie Lee, Representative Richard Hudson, Representative Raul Ruiz, and Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler for pushing this important bill to increase access to high-quality primary care in rural communities through the expansion of mobile clinics," said Rachel Gonzales-Hanson, Interim President and CEO of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). "While nearly half of health centers are located in rural and frontier communities, we know there is still unmet need. Additional mobile clinics will enable existing health centers to reach more patients who live in remote or isolated communities where medical, dental, and preventive care services are sorely needed. In fact, mobile clinics have been essential in the fight against COVID. Over the last six months, health centers have held nearly 7,000 mobile COVID events to test and vaccinate 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."
Rep. Lee has spearheaded legislation to expand access to health care in communities across Nevada. In addition to the MOBILE Health Care Act, Rep. Lee also introduced bipartisan legislation to bring more specialists to health centers in rural and underserved areas and bipartisan legislation to address Nevada's doctor shortage by expanding medical residency slots in the state. Earlier this year, Rep. Lee's work to expand access to health care was recognized nationally when she received the Distinguished Community Health Champion Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) for her advocacy for community health centers in Nevada and across the country.
For more information on the MOBILE Health Care Act, click here.
The MOBILE Health Care Act is endorsed by the following organizations:
• National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
• National Rural Health Association (NRHA)
• National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC)
• American Dental Association
• Nevada Primary Care Association (NPCA)
• Nevada Health Centers
• First Person Care Clinic (Nevada)
• North Carolina Community Health Center Association
• Cabarrus Rowan Community Health Center (North Carolina)
• Valley View Health Center (Washington)
• Cowlitz Family Health Center (Washington)
• The Problem Solvers Caucus
• The New Democratic Coalition