October 4, 2024
Rural Health Research – Health Care Affordability and Medical Debt: Differences by Rurality, Region, and Socio Demographic Characteristics
The high cost of health care affects health at both the individual and population level, and rural residents experience inequities in health, access to care, and financial well-being. However, little research has examined how health care affordability differs by rural/urban residence, and how health care affordability varies along geographic and socio-demographic dimensions within rural areas.
This policy brief examines rural/urban differences in rates of health care (un)affordability, as well as among rural residents by key socio-demographic characteristics.
Among key findings in this policy brief from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center:
- Health care affordability and medical debt issues differed significantly among rural residents by race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, income, and type of health insurance.
- Rural residents in the Western U.S. were more likely to be able to pay their medical bills than rural residents in the Northeast, North Central/Midwest, or Southern U.S.
Click Here to Read this Brief