Congressional Democrats Call For Improved Health Care For Rural Americans

John DuBois, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Reps. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) and Steve Kagen (D-Wisc.) came out Thursday to support a report released by the Center for Community Change and the Center for Rural Affairs on rural communities’ attitudes toward health care reform.

“Health care currently is for the privileged and that’s not how it should be,” Clyburn said.

According to the report, entitled “Sweet The Bitter Drought: Why America Needs Health Care Reform,” 82 percent of rural counties are classified as medically under-served areas. Medicaid and Medicare account for 60 percent of rural hospital revenues. In 2006, twenty-five percent of family farmers with health insurance reported debt from medical expenses. The likelihood that rural Americans are under-insured are seventy percent higher than for urban Americans.

“Medical debt leaves women and rural americans afraid because doctors won’t give them check-ups without insurance, even if it is a dire situation,” said Cindy Shawcross of the People Escaping Poverty Project.