Doctors for Rural Areas

• Increase numbers of rural students entering medical schools (They are most likely to live and practice in rural areas after training is completed).
• Encourage training on-site in rural communities during preparation for health and medical careers.
• Link primary care provider production to state funding for medical schools.

 
Maternity Care in Rural Counties

• Continue to reduce Alabama’s high infant mortality rates through increased access to prenatal care.
• Support provision of locally-based maternity care in rural counties.
• Encourage establishment of doctor-patient relationships for medicaid patients through prenatal care and delivery so that the concept of routine health care instead of using the emergency room is established for patients who may never have had “their own doctor.”

 
Blue Cross/Blue Shield policy of limiting eligible providers

• Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans to limit the number of new specialty physicians in its PMD program.  Blue Cross/Blue Shield officials will allow specialty physicians coming into the state or coming out of training to participate in the PMD program based on the company’s assessment of the need based on the number of Blue Cross subscribers in that area.
• Since BC/BS controls more than 80% of the commercial market in medical insurance in Alabama, not allowing a physician into their provider panel in essence keeps a doctor from being able to practice medicine in Alabama.  This not only limits free enterprise, but it will affect the supply of physicians.  In some areas, particularly rural counties, this is a critical issue.
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield does a good job with their clients and delivers quality health care at affordable prices; we simply raise the issue of whether an insurance company should decide state health manpower issues.

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