In small towns across Iowa, seeing a doctor often means a 30- or 60-minute drive, time off work, and miles on a two-lane highway. That reality hasn’t changed — but how we deliver care has.
The pandemic proved what rural families already knew: telehealth works when Washington gets out of the way. Today, nearly 1 in 4 seniors on Medicare use telehealth to connect with their doctor without leaving home. For rural Iowa, that’s not about convenience — it’s about access.
That’s why I fought to secure $50 billion in rural health care investments, including telehealth resources through Iowa’s Healthy Hometowns initiative. And now, I’m working to make that progress permanent.
What’s new: I just introduced the Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act to permanently lock in telehealth access for Iowa seniors on Medicare.
Our bill would:Â
🏠Allow more patients to receive care from the comfort of homeÂ
🏥 Ensure Critical Access Hospitals are properly reimbursed for telehealth services
đź©ş Expand telehealth access for Rural Health Clinics and Community Health Centers
Bottom Line: Rural Iowa families shouldn’t have to drive hours or navigate red tape to receive the high-quality care they need. I’ll keep fighting to protect and expand health care options, so you can get quality care closer to home.