A key part of this legislation is reauthorization of the National Health Service Corps. Since its intitiation in 1970. the corps has provided access to health care to thousands of Americans living in health manpower shortage areas. Community and migrant Health Centers. and the Indian Health Service. have relied heavily on corps health care providers. At its peak in 1986. the Corps had 3.127 health care providers in the field. Despite the argument citing an aggregate surplus of physicians. many rural and uran areas in the United States are without health care providers. the need for continuation of the National Health Service Corps is clearly evident.