Rural women face health access barriers as hospitals close

Rural women face steeper barriers to quality health care than any other group. A survey commissioned by Plan B One-Step — a backup method of birth control — finds that women in rural areas report significantly greater difficulty in accessing health care than their urban and suburban counterparts, with 17% citing limited access as their biggest personal health concern. The Commonwealth Fund notes that nearly 200 rural hospitals have completely or partially closed since 2005, with more than 400 others at risk of closure. “While urban hospitals tend to have higher operating costs,” the analysis says, “they have the patient volume to afford it.”