NRHA's Rural Health Voices blog offers informed commentary on the latest news in rural health care from NRHA staff and editorials from selected contributors.
-
Author:
Angela Lutz
-
Gallup's annual health and health care poll revealed that in 2022, more Americans than ever delayed medical care due to cost, coinciding with the highest U.S. inflation rate in more than 40 years. Lower-income households, women, and young adults are disproportionately affected, and this trend presents serious public health risks. Untreated medical conditions can lead to more severe health complications, further straining rural hospitals that already grapple with unique challenges such as...
Read more
-
Author:
Carl E. Couch, MD, MMM
-
Most of us would agree that controlling costs while providing high-quality, coordinated health care is a financial and moral imperative. This is especially true in rural markets, where household incomes are approximately four percent lower than urban areas and about 13.3 percent of families live below official poverty thresholds. But creating health solutions infrastructure to deliver value and provide an exceptional level of care comes at a cost, often requiring hard choices on where to...
Read more