Health Insurance Values » HealthLog with Dave Keller

Health care challenges hit
rural America

Nearly 50 million rural Americans face challenges when it comes to accessing health care—that’s the population of California and Illinois combined. This statistic comes from the report Hard Times in the Heartland, which the Department of Health and Human Services released in May. The report outlines health care challenges facing rural communities. Additional findings included the following:

• Nearly one in five of the uninsured—8.5 million people—live in rural areas

• Rural residents pay on average for 40 percent of their health care costs out of their own pockets, while urban residents pay one third

• In a multi-state survey, one in five insured farmers had medical debt

• There were 55 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents in rural areas, compared with 72 primary care physicians per 100,000 in urban areas

• Rural areas had half as many specialists as their urban counterparts per 100,000 residents

When you consider that the United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 17 percent of the U.S. population (or 50 million people) constitutes rural America, you realize the full scope of these disparities.

From rural America to urban America, health care reform impacts everyone. Start paying attention to the issues that affect you, and contact your elected officials to ensure your voice is heard.

Write your representative
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Contact your senator
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm