Geography matters in access to health care
November 05, 2009 11:50:29
by Shauna
Web Correspondent
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund
Reproductive health care decisions, for many women, have already been made—and they haven’t had any say in the matter. For some, it's because they have no health insurance. For others, it's because they can’t afford to pay for treatment. And for many, it is a lack of access to a health care provider. Women may have the right to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive health, but that is often a moot point if their hands are tied by the factors described above. And unfortunately for the majority of women living in rural communities, this is exactly what can happen.
According to a report released by Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota on the state of rural women's health (download it here), "More than 94% of Planned Parenthood’s 64,000 patients are women, and nearly 60% live in rural Minnesota." That's around 38,000 women! There is a huge need here that has to be addressed, not only for Minnesota, but for rural women across our country. Health care reform can go a long way to helping improve the situation by making insurance more accessible and affordable, but what about access to health care providers?
When you live in an urban or suburban area, it's easy to take for granted how close you are to your doctor. But what if the nearest doctor was located more than an hour away, by car, and you lacked the transportation to get there? Again, the report shows that "more than half of Minnesota’s rural counties have been designated as health- professional shortage areas due to an inadequate number of primary care providers." Health care reform must also consider the huge factor geography can play in accessing health care.
A woman's ability to make critical health decisions or receive important preventative care shouldn’t be taken away simply because of where she lives.
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