Introduction The Health of Rural America Barriers to Rural Health Care Action Points Resources Electronic Library Acknowledgments				BARRIERS TO HEALTH CARE FOR RURAL POPULATIONS (4 OF 6) Rural populations must overcome many obstacles in order to acquire care. Evidence shows that rural Americans have the same or greater health-care needs as metropolitan residents, yet they generally consume fewer health-care resources. Some of the barriers facing rural populations include: a. Accessibility to health care Geographic barriers and isolation, transportation issues b. Availability of physicians and resources Undersupply of health-care providers and services in rural areas c. Affordability of health care Rising costs of health care coupled with lower incomes in rural areas make it difficult for families to afford acute, chronic and/or preventive health care d. Acceptability of health care Differing perspectives on the quality of care, definitions of health and how it is delivered e. Combinations of all of the above The heterogeneity of rural America makes its population especially vulnerable to health disparities. Therefore, this is not an all-inclusive list of the barriers to health care that the rural population must overcome. Visit the Resources section of this module to learn more about health disparities facing rural America.
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