Doctor
More than 120 million Americans lack proper access to health care services, a new study from Good Rx Research found.
“Today, roughly 81% of counties across the United States are a health care desert of some kind, meaning the majority of the population lacks proper access to either pharmacies, primary care, hospitals, hospital beds, trauma centers or community health centers,” the report said. “Our estimates show that over 120 million people currently live in a health care desert county, accounting for roughly a third of the U.S. population.”
Since the company’s first report was released in 2021:
- More than 1,300 pharmacies have closed, increasing the number of people living in pharmacy deserts.
- The supply of primary care professionals continues to lag behind demand amid federal funding withdrawals for shortage areas.
- With the shifting policy landscape, hospitals and federally funded health centers remain at risk of closure.
Today, more than 48 million people live in a pharmacy desert, up from 41 million in 2021. Forty-five percent of U.S. counties are pharmacy deserts, where the majority of residents have to travel more than 15 minutes to reach the nearest pharmacy, a distance that can make it difficult to fill a prescription. This is especially concerning as medication shortages continue. A recent GoodRx Research survey found that nearly one in five Americans had to visit multiple pharmacies to fill their prescriptions.
Similarly, 20% of counties still are hospital deserts; nearly half remain hospital-bed deserts; and 38% are trauma-center deserts for the majority of residents. More than 28 million Americans live more than 30 minutes from the nearest hospital; nearly 8 in 10 live in an area with fewer than two hospital beds per 1,000 people; and nearly 50 million live more than one hour from a hospital equipped to handle major traumatic injuries.
Although the number of federally designated primary care health care professional shortage area has declined since 2021, this is largely because of a system declassification last year that withdrew shortage designations in for many facilities -- not because primary care shortages actually improved. The number of staffed beds in U.S. hospitals has declined from 2021 to 2025, according to the American Hospital Association, The average patient caseload in remaining federally designated primary care deserts is one full-time primary care professional for every 7,597 people, which is 2.5 times the recommended level.
“The prevalence of health care deserts means that few actually have adequate access to all aspects of health care,” the report concluded. “So, while someone may live close to a pharmacy, they may have to drive over an hour to a trauma center if they get in a serious accident. Or if their doctor is just down the street, finding a pharmacy that stocks their prescription may require a longer drive.
“Lacking just one dimension of health care can be detrimental to the health of individuals and communities at large.”
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