Rural Health Care Costs: Are They Higher and Why Might They Differ from Urban Health Care Costs?

Dunc Williams Jr; Mark Holmes

doi:10.18043/ncm.79.1.51

Rural Health Care Costs: Are They Higher and Why Might They Differ from Urban Health Care Costs?

N C Med J. 2018 Jan-Feb;79(1):51-55. doi: 10.18043/ncm.79.1.51.

Authors

Dunc Williams Jr¹, Mark Holmes²

Affiliations

¹ AHRQ National Research Service Award pre-doctoral trainee, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina dunc@ad.unc.edu.
² director, NC Rural Health Research Program, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research; professor, Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

PMID: 29439106
DOI: 10.18043/ncm.79.1.51

Abstract

Do health care costs differ between rural and urban populations, and if so, why might that be? Rural Americans are more vulnerable than their urban counterparts, which could lead us to suspect rural health care costs are higher. However, the answer may differ depending on how costs are measured and who is paying.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Female
Health Care Costs / statistics & numerical data*
Health Expenditures / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Male
Rural Health Services / economics*
Rural Population / statistics & numerical data*
Socioeconomic Factors
United States
Urban Population / statistics & numerical data
Vulnerable Populations / statistics & numerical data

Grants and funding

5T32 HS000032-28/HS/AHRQ HHS/United States