Thursday, July 28, 2011
Rural Health Care, Save (graphic: saveruralhealthcare.org)
Life in the country and small towns may be void of the congestion and crime of the big city. But rural living does not necessarily translate into better health, or for that matter better medical care.
The UnitedHealth Center for Health & Reform Modernization examined the condition of rural America as far as health and health care are concerned, and it found both areas are lacking compared to urban settings.
The center’s new report concluded that rural Americans are more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions (diabetes, heart problems, cancer) and face greater challenges getting quality healthcare than city dwellers.
UnitedHealth says medical care in 70% of rural markets is worse than that in cities. In rural areas, 19.5% of residents report being in only “fair” or “poor” health, compared with 15.6% of urban residents.
A big problem for rural communities is the lack of doctors. Overall, there are only 65 primary care physicians per 100,000 people, compared to 105 per 100,000 for urban and suburban Americans.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Modernizing Rural Health Care: Coverage, Quality and Innovation (UnitedHealth Center for Health & Reform Modernization) (pdf)
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