Report: Obamacare Repeal Would Disproportionately Affect Rural Areas
A new report says an ACA repeal would disproportionately affect rural areas. opensource on Flickr
A new report says repealing the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — would have a disproportionately negative effect in rural parts of Illinois.
The paper, from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, says a greater percentage of people in rural areas rely on Medicaid than their urban counterparts.
Among them is Debbie Clem of Carman, a tiny town in west-central Illinois. She says her daughter has psychological problems, and the cost of medication alone is “more than [she] can handle.”
“I’ve taken her off some of the medications, because I’m afraid that this isn’t going to be available any more, and I wouldn’t be able to afford it,” she says.
The report says in Illinois, the percentage of uninsured adults in rural adults dropped by more than half — from 17 percent to 8 percent — after Obamacare became law.
Larry McCulley is president of SIHF Healthcare, which operates clinics across the central and southern parts of the state.
He says when jobs disappear from rural areas, they don’t get replaced — which makes the healthcare safety net especially important for rural people.
“To allow them to maintain their health, maintain their families — so they can continue to move toward training and pursuit of additional jobs — is critical in rural America,” McCulley said.
The US House of Representatives passed a repeal of Obamacare earlier this year — but the legislation faces an uncertain future in the US Senate.
Links
- Judge: Illinois Must Make Medicaid Payments Faster
- As Cash Flow Tightens, Medicaid Ruling Looms
- Illinois’ Medicaid Problems Could Jeopardize Money For Schools, State Workers, Attorneys Say
- Illinois’ Late Payments Could Cost Medicaid Patients Access To Doctors
- In Republican States Like Missouri, Medicaid Expansion Still Faces Stiff Opposition
- Illinois Issues: Has The Managed Care Option Helped Medicaid Patients?
- Indiana’s Model For Medicaid Could Spread—But It’s Not Working For Everyone
- Durbin On American Health Care Act: ‘I’m Now A Pre-Existing Condition’
- ACA Event To Show Stories Behind Numbers
- Illinois Issues: How Republican Efforts To Toss Out Obamacare Might Affect This State
- Obamacare Repeal Could Reverse Progress On HIV/AIDS Treatment And Prevention
- Healthcare Consumer Group Director Defends Obamacare, Challenges Rep. Davis To Debate
- A Public Conversation About Obamacare; Illinois Politics; The 21st Expands To Northern Illinois
- Illinois Asks Congress To Avoid Hasty ‘Obamacare’ Action
- Illinois Hospitals: Don’t Repeal Obamacare Without Immediate Replacement