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Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Whitehouse Hears Rural Health Care Concerns

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Friday, May 8, 2009   

Washington, D.C. – A wide mix of farmers, ranchers, business people and other organizations from across the country who were invited to meet with White House officials this week say they are encouraged the administration is paying attention to the unique challenges rural America faces in the health care reform debate.

One of those who attended was Jon Bailey, research director for the Center for Rural Affairs, who shared details of the center’s most recent report on the nation’s rural health care system. The center’s findings show health care reform is needed for entrepreneurial activities to be successful in rural states like South Dakota. Bailey says, having less-than-adequate insurance is a major issue in rural areas where people often are forced to buy their coverage on the individual market.

"Those kinds of policies are often very expensive and provide less coverage. Rural people actually pay more and get less in health care coverage than people in urban areas. And, they end up paying a lot more out of their pocket for health care services, which affects the ability to reinvest in their businesses, and reinvest in their farms and ranches."

Bailey was encouraged the White House is engaged in the rural health care debate. The buzz in Washington this week is that health care reform legislation will be introduced and acted on this summer, he adds.

"I think that’s an ambitious timetable, but everyone seems to think that’s going to happen. Again, we’re going to be involved in the debate and everybody in rural America needs to be involved in the debate because it may be the most important issue that's come around in a long time for rural people. As our reports are showing, rural people are going to be more affected by what happens in the health care debate than anyone else."

Bailey calls is "startling" that the number-one factor for being uninsured or under-insured is geography - with rural residents twice as likely to be under-insured as urban residents. He says health care reform is crucial to creating public health insurance options that would provide rural small businesses and those who are self-employed the opportunity to choose affordable, quality coverage.

The full report is available online at www.files.cfra.org/pdf/Causes-and-Consequences-of-Rural-Uninsured.pdf.




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