LITTLE ROCK -- Tim Penny, spokesman for the Washington, D. C. -based Alliance to Improve Medicare, said Thursday that proposed reforms in the federal health program would help the elderly in rural areas of the state.

Penny, a former congressman from Minnesota, said reforms supported by his organization would raise the federal reimbursement rates to healthcare professionals in rural areas and add more healthcare choices to the Medicare program. Those two things would bring more doctors and services back to rural areas of not just Arkansas, but other states, as well. Other reforms consist of reducing paperwork and adding healthcare options, including a prescription drug plan.

With Congress in session and the debate over Medicaid reform about begin, Penny is touring states speaking on the importance of Medicare reform. In Little Rock, he spent time on a radio talk show Thursday morning and then met with health care professionals that afternoon.

"The Bush administration is interested in comprehensive Medicare reform," Penny said, adding that the reform movement has bipartisan support led by Republican Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn. , and Democratic Sen. John Breaux, D-Louisiana.

"They, in a bipartisan way, have said drug benefits need to be a part of Medicare, but they need to be part of a comprehensive fix of the Medicare system."

He also said Sen. Blanch Lincoln, D-Ark. , will play a key role in the reforms because she is on the Senate finance committee.

"The Bush administration is on the right wave length and there's a little bit extra money in the budget to help develop some reform proposals," he said.

Penny also said a recent poll done by the organization found that 54 percent of the respondents have doubts that Medicare will have enough resources to provide services to the "baby boomer" generation.

More than 40 million people receive Medicare benefits currently and that number is expected to double by the time baby boomers enter the program.

The Alliance to Improve Medicare is a coalition of nearly 30 organizations representing seniors, patients, medical researchers, doctors, hospitals, small business people, and others who advocate the need for a better Medicare program.

Penny said the three fundamentals of the organization are bipartisan cooperation, updating healthcare choices within the program, and saving money.

Medicare was formed in the mid-1960s and has changed little in the past 35 years, falling behind the advancements in health care technology, he said.

Also, payments to providers were cut in 1997, causing many providers to drop out and overall medical costs to rise.