Suburban poor struggle with access to health care

As more people with low incomes move to the suburbs, they are finding access to care is becoming a greater challenge (Source: “Upsurge Of Suburban Poor Discover Health Care’s Nowhere Land,” Kaiser Health News, Feb. 9, 2018).

Suburbs in the United States, often perceived as enclaves of the affluent, are home to nearly 17 million Americans who live in poverty — more than in cities or rural areas — and growing demand for care strains the capacity of suburban health services to provide for them, according to a recent study in Health Affairs.

Suburban areas have historically received a fraction of health funding that cities have, leaving them with inadequate infrastructure and forcing people to scramble for the medical attention they need.

The Health Affairs study found that about a fifth of the suburban poor are uninsured, and many who do have health insurance either can’t find providers or must travel far for appointments.