MILWAUKEE, WI (AP)-- The health care overhaul could provide more affordable and better insurance options for rural residents, who generally pay more for insurance and have less access to medical care than those living near cities.
That's according to a report released Wednesday by the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska.
Jon Bailey is director of the center's Rural Research and Analysis Program. He says one reason rural residents pay more for health insurance is that fewer of them have coverage through work; health insurance they buy on their own usually costs more.
Bailey's report says rural residents with lower incomes will likely benefit from premium subsidies available for insurance purchased through the new online marketplaces. He says they'll also benefit from caps on out-of-pocket costs, which should make their coverage more valuable.
