The Health Care Views and Experiences of Rural Americans: Findings from the Kaiser Family Foundation/Washington Post Survey of Rural America

Liz Hamel, Bryan Wu, and Mollyann Brodie
Published: Jul 16, 2017

Appendix A: Personal Experiences with Health Care Access and Cost in Rural Areas

Table A1: Usual Source of Care in Rural Areas by Insurance Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Income
AMONG THOSE IN RURAL AREAS: Today, what kind of place, if any, do you usually go when you are sick or when you need advice about your health?	Total Rural	Insurance Status		Race/Ethnicity			Income
	Total Rural	Insured Ages 18-64	Uninsured Ages 18-64	White	Black	Hisp.	<$20K	$20K- $49.9K	$50K- $74.9K	$75K+
A hospital emergency room/No usual place of care (NET)	17%	15%	49%	15%	33%	29%	31%	18%	10%	12%
A hospital emergency room	7	7	14	4	26	10	16	7	1	2
No usual place of care	11	8	35	11	7	19	15	11	9	10
A neighborhood clinic or health center	27	31	32	27	21	36	32	26	32	23
A private doctor’s office	52	51	14	54	43	33	36	49	58	62
Some other place	3	3	4	3	2	1	1	6	<1	2
Don’t know/Refused	1	<1	2	<1	1	2	0	<1	0	1

Table A2: Affordability of Health Care Costs in Rural Areas by Insurance Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Income
AMONG THOSE IN RURAL AREAS: In general, how easy or difficult is it for you to afford to pay your family’s health care costs?*	Total Rural	Insurance Status		Race/Ethnicity			Income
	Total Rural	Insured Ages 18-64	Uninsured Ages 18-64	White	Black	Hisp.	<$20K	$20K- $49.9K	$50K- $74.9K	$75K+
Easy (NET)	50%	54%	18%	53%	30%	31%	33%	44%	53%	73%
Very easy	20	23	7	21	14	9	12	17	20	38
Somewhat easy	30	31	11	32	16	22	21	27	32	36
Difficult (NET)	48	46	76	45	69	67	63	55	47	25
Somewhat difficult	24	23	27	23	29	40	24	30	26	16
Very difficult	24	23	49	22	40	27	39	26	20	9
Don’t know/Refused	2	1	6	2	1	2	4	1	1	2
*Question wording included “including the cost of insurance and any other costs you have to pay out of your own pocket” for those who are insured

Table A3: Postponing Needed Care in Rural Areas by Insurance Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Income
AMONG THOSE IN RURAL AREAS: In the past 12 months, have you or another family member living in your household skipped or postponed getting any type of health care you needed, including doctor visits, prescriptions, dental care, or mental health services?	Total Rural	Insurance Status		Race/Ethnicity			Income
	Total Rural	Insured Ages 18-64	Uninsured Ages 18-64	White	Black	Hisp.	<$20K	$20K- $49.9K	$50K- $74.9K	$75K+
Yes, have skipped/ postponed care	37%	39%	61%	37%	39%	41%	45%	42%	42%	25%
Not being able to afford the cost was a reason	28	28	47	28	28	28	33	34	30	17
Not being able to find a doctor or get an appointment was a reason	9	9	16	8	17	11	15	10	10	4
Difficulty traveling to the doctor’s office, clinic, or pharmacy was a reason	7	6	14	5	13	12	14	7	4	1
No, have not skipped/ postponed care	62	61	39	63	60	57	54	58	58	74
Don’t know/Refused	<1	<1	0	<1	1	2	1	<1	0	<1

Findings Appendix B: How We Defined Rural Areas and Who Lives There

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