LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska state senator is asking the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct more long-term care meetings in his overwhelmingly rural district.

Sen. Al Davis of Hyannis sent a letter to the department asking for more meetings in District 43, an area that includes all of 12 western and northern Nebraska counties and part of Box Butte County.

Department CEO Courtney Phillips recently announced a statewide tour of meetings to discuss its long-term care plan with constituents.

Davis says his district is home to a large share of the state’s elderly population, and also has high levels of poverty and a large number of uninsured residents.