Health care disparities create undue and significant hurdles for patients in need and disproportionately impact individuals with chronic conditions. It is critical that all patients have equal access to health care services independent of age, ethnicity, socio-economic status or health status.
A wave of rural hospital closures in recent years have raised concerns about access to health care.
- 64 rural hospitals closed between 2013 and 2017, more than twice the number of closures in the previous five-year period.
- 23% of rural Americans say access to good doctors and hospitals is a major problem, compared with 18% of urbanites and 9% of suburbanites.