From the Iowa Independent (via RACnews/Twitter):
A new white paper released by The Iowa Policy Project focuses on the disparities at play when rural residents seek health care insurance.
“[This report] really highlights that the need for health reform that isn’t limited to people who are working outside their home — that it is a big issue for those who are self-employed and for people across the country,” said Andrew Cannon, a research associate with IPP and author of the study. “It’s not just an urban issue. It’s not just a rural issue. It’s an issue that touches Americans from all walks of life. Health reform needs to address the needs of all populations, including America’s rural population.”
Nearly 20 percent of America’s uninsured live in rural areas, according to the study, and are more likely than residents of urban areas to purchase their insurance on non-group, private markets where they typically pay higher costs.
“The situation really is not sustainable barring some sort of reform,” Cannon said. “What we’ve seen over the past 10 to 20 years is that medical inflation, and health insurance inflation in particular, far out-stripping wage inflation.
Filed under: Uncategorized
