00:00Let me go back to policy. Maybe we can lower the temperature a little bit.
00:04I got a bipartisan bill that would be a systemic fix, not a vote-buying mechanism when Medicaid's
00:12getting cut, than what was put in on the rural hospitals. One of the things we could do,
00:16Mr. Secretary, is make sure that the folks who work in rural hospitals get an 80% reimbursement
00:21of what folks get in more urban centers. Would you support that legislation?
00:26Are you talking about the Area Wage Index?
00:33I'm talking about the Area Wage Index and moving that up to 80% so there is actually ability
00:39to get rural providers. President Trump supports that, and we support that.
00:44Do you support? You support. Good. So you will work with us to get that passed?
00:47Yes. That will increase costs on both Medicaid and Medicare, so you are committed to that.
00:54I appreciate that. What about Senator Wyden that I've got to build? Because across America,
00:58hospitals are shutting down on their OBGYN services. Try to have a baby. I don't know about
01:05all my other friend states, but in Southside Virginia, you can't find a hospital. Will you
01:09work with us to make sure that before OBGYN services are taken out of a rural hospital,
01:15there has to be a process and procedure?
01:17I'm happy to work with you on that, Senator. Meet with you and see if we can work with you on it.
01:23I don't know exactly what the issue is.
01:26Well, hold it.
01:27Again, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, who has said he doesn't know how many people died
01:33from COVID, doesn't know if the vaccine saved lives, doesn't understand the issue that OBGYN
01:39are fleeing rural America because they can't afford it. And with the cuts that are coming up,
01:46it's going to be exponentially worse. I would invite you, sir, to come with me to a community
01:50health center in Virginia and hear what is on people's mind. They want to get healthier?
01:55Absolutely. Count me in. But they also don't want their basic health care removed. Thank you,
01:59Mr. Chairman.
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