Medical deserts, where access to health care is restricted or nonexistent, may affect more than 80% of counties in the U.S.
In these rural, suburban, and even urban areas, individuals live without services essential to basic health maintenance. These can include pharmacies, primary care providers (PCPs), community health centers, emergency services, and hospitals. Telehealth offers a bridge for many people who would otherwise have to travel extensive distances for check-ups or visits with specialists; however, there is significant overlap between those living in medical deserts and those lacking the broadband speeds necessary to connect with that care.
When it comes to primary care, it’s difficult to overstate its importance. Long-term, regular check-ins with a PCP equate to higher-quality care, 33% less spent on health care than those who only use specialists, and 19% lower odds of premature death. For those living more than 30 miles from a PCP and those who can’t access PCPs by foot or public transit, these preventative services are often rendered inaccessible.
While use of telehealth is up, and the technology offers an exciting opportunity for making health care more equitable, a full 45% of rural users in a 2021 national telehealth survey conducted by the Bipartisan Policy Center and Social Sciences Research Solutions said technical issues interfered with access to the service.
Sidecar Health cited data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Microsoft to identify counties considered primary care shortage areas and calculate the number of residents accessing broadband speeds of 25 mbps or greater. Although the Federal Communications Commision (FCC) collects broadband data, Sidecar Health cited an anonymized dataset from Microsoft that more accurately reflects the digital divide across the U.S. The FCC relies on reports from telecom providers rather than user experiences to inform its map, overstating the extent of broadband coverage across much of the U.S. The dataset from Microsoft is based on anonymized user data meaning in addition to access it also reflects the speeds area residents may be able to afford. While the FCC's data suggest 14.5 million people are unable to connect to the internet at broadband speeds, Microsoft's dataset found 120.4 million people lacked access to broadband speeds.
HHS primary care shortage designations can include counties, specific census tracts, and other geographic denominators. This list focuses on entire counties that are considered primary care shortage areas. States are ranked based on the percent of the population living in counties considered primary care deserts who also aren't accessing the internet at broadband speeds.
The following states did not have entire counties designated primary care shortage areas: Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Keep reading to see how many counties in your state are primary care deserts—and what percentage of the population in those areas lack broadband.
