With rural communities throughout New York facing a lack of health care workers, Assemblyman Robert Smullen has introduced what he called “common sense” legislation to address the disparities.

Smullen, R-Johnstown, has introduced a bill that would provide student loan forgiveness and tax credits to health care professionals who agree to practice full-time for five years in rural areas of the state, where a recent report by the state comptroller’s office found massive disparities in the number of health care workers compared to more urban communities.

“This is a quality of life issue that, if left unaddressed, could not only drive more families out of the state, but also leave many to suffer in silence, forced to deal with serious health problems alone,” Smullen said during a press event at Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home in Gloversville.

Smullen’s legislation also calls for making permanent Medicaid reimbursement rates for telehealth services, which were adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic and are set to expire next year.

The legislation comes just months after an August report from the state that found large the disparities in 16 rural counties, including Greene, Hamilton and Washington counties.

On average, the report found that the 16 counties had just four primary care physicians per 10,000 residents, which is half of the eight per 10,000 the state averages as a whole.

The list of counties — which also included Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chenango, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Herkimer, Lewis, Schulyer, Steuben, Sullivan, Wyoming and Yates — account for an estimated 748,000 of the state’s 19 million residents, but make up over 37% of its land area.

Shortages were also identified in the number of dental and mental health providers, as well as OB-GYNs and pediatricians throughout the 16 counties.

Smullen called the report “staggering” and said his legislation aims to incentive essential health care workers to take jobs in rural communities.

Sean Fadale, president and CEO of Nathan Littauer, called the proposal a “game changer” that will help rural hospital address growing wage pressures and rising health care costs that have made recruitment and retention difficult.

“It’s not just a Nathan Littauer problem,” he said. “It’s a health care problem across upstate New York, and this is something that … we’ve been kicking the can down the road without real meaningful solutions out in front of us.”

The legislation would provide student loan forgiveness to health care professionals who commit to working in rural communities and set aside $100 million to fund tax credits for health care professionals who agree to work in rural settings.

Under the legislation, tax credits worth 15% of wages earned, not to exceed $15,000, would be provided to physicians, physician assistants, dentist, physical therapists, pharmacists occupational therapists and mental health practitioners.

Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses would be eligible to receive an annual tax credit worth 10% of their wages, not to exceed $10,000, according to the legislation.

Smullen said he has been talking with lawmakers in both chambers of state government and believes the bill will earn the bipartisan support needed to be approved in a final state budget next year.

“This will become an issue of what I call rural equity — of being able to make sure that our people are heard, our voice and our values are heard in Albany,” he said.

Though it’s unclear what, if any, effect the legislation would have on addressing the shortfalls if the it is approved, the report recommended incentivizing workers through loan forgiveness and subsidies.

The report also pointed to uncertainty facing rural health care providers because of reductions in Medicaid eligibility approved in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which threatens to exacerbate financial struggles already facings rural hospitals.

The report noted New York is home to six rural hospitals that are in the top 10% for Medicaid-payer mix in the nation and has five additional hospitals that have had negative margins for three consecutive years.

More than one million New Yorkers........

© The Leader Herald