Schumer pushes for rural hospital help

ALBION, N.Y. (WIVB) - New York's Senior Senator wants to revive a Medicare payment program that's critical to rural hospitals.

Senator Charles Schumer is introducing legislation to extend the low volume hospital program. The measure provides $1.7 million in essential payments to hospitals in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties.

"If you come in with a serious ailment or not-so-serious alignment, you want the best care possible and you should get it. But if you're in a rural area there aren't that many people to do it and so it costs more per visit. And that would lead our hospitals to cut back," Schumer explained.

The low volume hospital program expired last month. If the extension passes, hundreds of thousands of dollars would be saved for rural hospitals.