Senate Proceeding on Oct 21st, 2009 :: 1:59:20 to 2:05:00
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1:59:16 to 1:59:36( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: health care reform. now i'd like to yield six minutes to senator udall. mr. udall: i thank very much the senator from new hampshire, thk you for her leadership here on the floor rand the hard work that she is done -- and the hard work that she's done on this issue.

1:59:20 to 2:05:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Tom Udall

1:59:37 to 1:59:57( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: i know that everybody back in new hampshire very much appreciates that. you know, this is the fourth time the senate's fres freshmen class that is geared an the floor to track about health care reform. already we've talked about why sseentaining the statistic maintaing the status quo isn't an option. we've talked about how reform

1:59:58 to 2:00:19( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: will mean many things to many different people. what i'd like to talk about today is what reform will mean our rural areas are the backbone of america. it's where we grow our food. its a where the values and traditions that make our country unique continue to thrive. it's where the potential for a

2:00:20 to 2:00:42( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: clean energy future goes bride brighter and brighter every day. unfortunately, our rural areas are also places where the disparities in america's health care system are the most startling. it shouldn't matter whether you live in a vast metropolisike new york city or a frontier town in new york. all americans, regardless of

2:00:43 to 2:01:03( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: where we choose to call home, deserve access to quality, affordable health care. but the reality is that right now where you live does have a big impact on whether you have access to quality, affordable coverage. americans living in rural areas are more likely to be uninsured, and if they do have insurance,

2:01:04 to 2:01:26( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: it could be very difficult to find a doctor. as a result, rural americans end up getting sicker. they have higher rates of chronic disease and they're often forced to travel hundreds of miles for preventive or emergency care. if they're able to find any at all. i've seen these disparities firsthand as a member of the

2:01:27 to 2:01:48( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: other chambernd now a senator for one of the most rural states in the nation. geographically, new mexico is the fifth-largest state in the country, with more than 120,000 square miles of some of the most beautiful land that god created. of the 2 million people who call new mexico home, about 700,000 live in rural areas.

2:01:49 to 2:02:09( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: several places in new mexico are so sparsely populated that they're classified as frontier areas with less than six people per square mile. many of new mexico's rural residents are farmers and ranchers and they run their own businesses. their only access to health insurance and on which through the individual market where

2:02:10 to 2:02:30( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: coverage can be extremely expensive, difficult to obtain and nowhere near as comprehensive. as a result, rural americans pay nearly half of their health insurance costs out of pocket. and one in five farmers lives in medical debt. with health reform, we must ensure that america's farmers

2:02:31 to 2:02:51( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: and ranchers, like their small business counterparts in more urban are, have more affordable choices for coverage. making this happen is through a health insurance exchange that includes a strong public option. inserting more choice into the market would keep insurers honest and allow consumers to

2:02:52 to 2:03:12( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: compare plans and prices and decide what works best for them. with health reform, we must also address the growing doctor shortage in rural america. in my state, for example, 30 of 33 counties are categorized as medically underserved. americans should not have to travel hundreds of miles for health care.

2:03:13 to 2:03:34( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: whether it's lifesaving treatment for a heart attack or basic preventive service like a mammogram, people are more likely to get the help they need, when they need it, if the services are close to home. through incentives, like low-interest student loans, ln repayment programs and scholarships for students and mid-career professionals, we can

2:03:35 to 2:03:55( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: encourage more doctors and nurses and specialists to establish and grow their medical careers in rural america. finally, with health reform, we must better support rural hospitals that serve larnlings numbers of low income and uninsured patients. this could be through initiatives like expanded drug

2:03:56 to 2:04:17( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: discount programs, increased medicare payment caps for rural health clinics, increased national service corps doctors, and expanded demonstration programs to test reasonable cost reimbursement for small, rural hospitals. we will never achieve true reform in our country if we don't address the very real health care challenges facing

2:04:18 to 2:04:39( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: rural americans from the deserts of new mexico to the mountains of maine and everywhere inbetween. the improvements i've outlined are a good start, but there is more left to do. and i plan on talking about how we can accomplish this in the coming weeks. . president, we've traveled a long way over the past few months. i applaud my fellow freshmen senators for standing up each

2:04:40 to 2:05:01( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: week and making sure their choices are hea proces i believe working together that we can create a system where all people can find and afford quality health insurance that provides the care they need. we can guarantee quality, affordable health insurance to every american, and we must do that. thank you, mr. president.