Health Care Capsule: Accessing Health Care in Rural America

This Health Care Capsule summarizes our work on health care access in rural areas. Rural residents face several access challenges, including:

• Fewer health care providers, which limits access to specialized services
• Longer travel distances to get to health care and fewer transportation options than urban areas
• Less broadband internet, which limits access to telehealth services

We've recommended that federal agencies learn more about the needs of rural residents and their health outcomes to better ensure that rural residents get the care that they need.