Atlanta

HHS makes $3.3 million investment to make rural health care easier to get in Georgia

ATLANTA — Georgia now has more than $3 million dollars to improve rural health care.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced investments of more than $3.3 million in the state.

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That money will go toward growing the health workforce and increasing access to quality health care in rural communities in Georgia.

This includes more than $1.8 million in funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

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“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to ensuring all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable health care – no matter where anyone lives,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said. “Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we have significantly improved access to health care for the millions of families who live in rural America. Our work doesn’t stop here with these funds; we can continue working to ensure rural communities have the support they need.”

Last year, Biden’s administration and HHS invested more than $16 billion in supporting rural health, the release states.

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The department says health disparities between rural and urban areas tripled between 1999 and 2019, with rural citizens dealing with higher rates of heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional injury and suicide as well as higher risk of maternal morbidity and mortality.

The release stated that access to quality health care is at the heart of these issues.

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