Riess: Give rural patients more choices, rural providers more flexibility
By Naomi Riess | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
Healthcare access in rural Colorado is not an abstract policy debate. It is about whether a family can find a primary-care provider, an expectant mother can receive care close to home, or a patient ends up in an emergency room because there was no timely alternative.
In Southwest Colorado, we know the problem: too few providers, long waits, financial pressure on clinics and hospitals, and a system too often designed around the Front Range.
In 2027, I would pursue a practical, bipartisan Rural Colorado Primary Care Access Act built around four principles: access, provider capacity, sustainability and flexibility.
My proposal would build on ideas in HB26-1096, Colorado Medicaid Access to Primary Care Services, considered by th...
