Study: 1 in 3 rural adults have trouble paying medical bills

One in three rural adults has trouble paying medical or dental bills, according to a study by Harvard University researchers. The study was an effort to see what rural adults perceive to be their biggest obstacles. As the study noted: "The 2016 U.S. presidential election brought national visibility to prominent economic issues affecting rural America, yet little has been done to examine serious health or economic problems in rural communities from the perspectives of rural U.S. adults themselves."

The researchers surveyed 1,300 adults in 2018 and 1,405 adults in 2019. Respondents said that, along with trouble paying medical bills, drug abuse and a lagging economy are the most serious problems rural areas face. About half of respondents said they know someone who has an opioid or other drug problem, and about half said they'd have trouble paying off an unexpected $1,000 expense. 

"Although rural communities have traditionally been self-reliant, more than half of rural adults are open to outside help to solve serious problems facing their communities, including major help from government," the researchers write.