Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C-Mohawk Valley and the Adirondacks) is introducing a proposal to help expand health care access and improve affordability throughout rural communities statewide. Smullen says this proposal emerged in response to shocking statistics highlighted in an August 2025 report from the Office of the New York State Comptroller.

The report examined healthcare professional shortages in 16 rural counties in New York state and found alarming shortfalls in primary care, pediatric, and obstetrician and gynecologist (OBGYN) doctors, dentists, and mental health practitioners. In fact, several counties had no pediatricians or OBGYNs at all. According to the report:

• Ten of the 16 rural counties have shortage designations for primary care, dental and mental health and all 16 counties have shortage designations for at least two of these fields of medicine;
• On average, there are only four primary care physicians for every 10,000 people in the 16 rural counties of New York state, a ratio that is less than half of the state and the country;
• On average, the 16 rural counties have 0.5 pediatricians for every 10,000 people, less than one-fifth of the state ratio and one-third of the country;
• On average, the OBGYN -to-10,000-population ratio of the 16 rural counties is 0.4, meaning there is only one OBGYN for every 23,000 people;
• On average, the 16 rural counties’ dentist-to-10,000-population ratio is less than half of the state ratio, and there are no dentists in Hamilton County; and
• On average, the 16 counties’ mental health practitioner-to-10,000 population ratio is less than half that of the state.

A link to a PDF document of the full August 2025 report can be found here. 

“These statistics showcase a staggering lack of health care access for New Yorkers living in rural areas of the state, which is unacceptable,” said Smullen. “There is a clear and present need for us to address this urgent and growing problem on a statewide scale. My proposal would help address this health care shortage by improving telehealth reimbursement rates, as well as providing loan relief and tax credits to health care providers to incentivize them to work in currently underserved rural areas. Addressing these affordability and access issues is essential and is a matter of rural equity.”