HAMLET, N.C.  – Republican Sen. Richard Burr says making a mistake in the nation’s health care overhaul will impact rural communities first.

Burr took part in a town hall meeting Monday with two Obama cabinet secretaries and a Democratic lawmaker. He said it was a “good sign” that the administration appeared poised to drop its plan to create a government-run insurance option.

The North Carolina senator argued that rural America has a lot at stake in the health care debate, saying that if there was a mistake in the overhaul, health care would be more difficult to get in rural areas.

Both Burr and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack agreed that changes to the health care system were necessary, saying the current system is not sustainable.