Rural Healthcare in Peril: Mapping The Republican Attack on ACA and Rural Hospitals
What if you were sick and there were no physicians or hospital beds in your community?
Millions of Americans in rural communities that don’t have essential healthcare services such as a hospital, an emergency room, or a primary care clinic. They face long delays in getting care if they’re in an accident or have symptoms of a heart attack.Even if they have insurance to pay for health care services, there is nowhere in their community they can use it.
What’s behind this crisis? Who’s hurt? Who’s responsible for rural hospitals closing? What’ll happen if Republicans kill the ACA? Get the facts with this interactive StoryMap. Click to see rural hospitals. Which have closed? Health ranking and life expectancy for the county? Politicians who are paid to represent their constituents, not their wealthy HMO donors?
Rural hospital closures affect everyone, not just residents of rural communities
Most of the nation’s food supply comes from rural communities, and the farm and ranch workers and their families in those communities rely on rural hospitals for healthcare services. The coronavirus pandemic demonstrated how health problems in rural communities can cause food shortages in urban areas. Rural communities are also home to most of the nation’s coal mining and gas and oil production, as well as wind farms and solar energy facilities. Rural hospitals are the closest source of emergency care for visitors to many National Parks and other popular tourism and recreation sites. – Rural Hospitals
Trump vows to repeal Affordable Care Act
The 2010 Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, has become a flash point in the presidential race in recent days as Biden and his allies have sought to contrast Trump’s recent dismissive remarks with what they frame as Biden’s commitment to health-care affordability.
“To those who want to repeal this lifesaving law, let me be clear: I won’t let it happen on my watch,” said President Biden.
Biden hailed North Carolina’s expansion of Medicaid under the ACA, which officials say will provide immediate coverage to 300,000 North Carolinians, and lambasted “MAGA Republicans” who want to repeal the law. His campaign warned that millions of Americans who get health care through Obamacare “could wave goodbye to their coverage” if Trump wins the White House again. – Washington Post
Learn more
Hundreds of Hospitals Could Close Across Rural America – U.S. News
Saving Rural Hospitals data – Rural Hospitals
Republican Senate frontrunner in Montana calls for returning ‘healthcare to pure privatization’ – Semafor
Rural Health Hub – Rural Health Info
Rick Scott Wants to Rip Affordable Care From Millions and End The ACA – Protect Our Care
TakeAway: Protect rural hospitals and your ACA healthcare. Vote for Democrats.
Deepak
DemLabs
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Reposted from Democracy Labs with permission.
