A new JAMA study reveals that one in three rural adults report issues affording medical bills. In the study, 32 percent of survey respondents had problems paying bills or dental treatment, including 19 percent of rural adults who reported major problems. Additionally, 44 percent of adults with lower incomes (less than $25,000 per year) said they struggled with medical bill affordability. “Our results are consistent with other research findings suggesting that the rural population has limited health care options, and US populations across the urban-suburban-rural continuum continue to experience issues with health care costs, access, and quality,” researchers wrote in the study.
