Access problems are more likely to affect Americans who already face disparities, including those with lower incomes, lack of insurance, and limited internet access.
More than 80% of counties in the U.S. lack some form of health care infrastructure, a new report has found. Just as with the term "food deserts," used to identify areas where Americans have limited access to groceries, the report uses the term "health care desert" to note counties where Americans have some degree of access problem for health care services.
The report from GoodRx takes a comprehensive look at lack of access to health care facilities and providers, identifying six key services: pharmacies, primary care providers, hospitals, hospital beds, trauma centers, and low-cost health centers.
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The report comes at a time when access is in the news because of the surge in illnesses caused by the delta variant of COVID-19. Stories of patients being turned away because no beds are available in ICUs have become another reminder of how our health care system is being strained by pandemic, but the GoodRx research points out that even in normal times, many Americans face challenges in accessing needed health care services.
"In an ideal world, everyone would have equal access to necessary health services and the means to gain access to these services," the report said. "But this just isn't the case."
Shortages of providers and hospitals
Possibly the area where the health system does better is in its supply of primary care providers. The report finds that 9% of counties don't have adequate access to primary care providers. But that still leaves 13 million Americans in areas with a low supply of primary care providers and high demand for such services.
"On average, health care provider deserts have one full-time primary care provider for every 10,449 people—a potential patient caseload of over three times the recommended level," the report said.
In addition, more than 20% of counties in the U.S. are considered hospital deserts, where people would have to drive more than 30 minutes to reach the nearest hospital. The report also found 47% of counties have fewer than two hospital beds per 1,000 people, and more than 40% of counties are trauma center desserts, where people more than an hour to reach a hospital that can handle major traumatic injuries.
Pharmacy deserts
The report found that more than 40% of counties in the U.S. are pharmacy deserts, defined as counties where most people have to drive more than 15 minutes to reach a pharmacy. The researchers estimated that more than 41 million Americans live in a pharmacy desert. It noted that longer driving times make it more difficult for people to fill prescriptions.
Not surprisingly, residents of rural states are more likely to face this issue. The report identified the states of South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, and Kansas as having the largest number of counties that lack adequate access to pharmacies. "Though there are more than 60,000 pharmacies across the U.S., they are dispersed unevenly," the report said. "While [patients] may have access to a provider to obtain a prescription, filling that prescription may be more difficult."
Other areas of concern
Two other areas were mentioned in the report:
- Low-cost health center deserts, which are areas where most people have to drive more than 20 minutes to reach federally funded community health centers. The report found this access problem in more than 45% of counties in the U.S.
- Access problems were more likely to affect Americans who already face disparities; including those with lower incomes, lack of insurance, and limited internet access. "Together, these barriers can further widen disparities in health outcomes," the report said.
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