Poll: Rural access to health care important to voters

Nine in 10 voters say access to health care in rural communities is important, and three in five would be more likely to vote for a candidate who prioritized it, according to a poll released yesterday by the Bipartisan Policy Center and American Heart Association. “We are pleased to see that our poll shows rural health is an issue of concern for rural, urban, and suburban Americans, and transcends political parties,” said former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), who is co-chairing a new BPC Rural Health Task Force with former Sen. Olympia Snow (R-Maine) that will recommend policies for improving rural health in America. “Rural health has never been a top tier issue on the campaign trail. However, these findings show that it could be a powerful topic in the 2020 election. It should prompt every candidate and policymaker to address the challenges of rural health and take action.” The AHA in February released a report outlining specific legislative and policy recommendations to address the challenges facing rural communities, including development of new models of care, expanded access to telehealth services, cutting red tape, and fair and adequate reimbursement that covers the cost of care.