On a recent report card comparing rural health care among states, Texas received a grade of D-.
The report card, published last month by researchers at Texas Tech University, compared several key metrics including mortality, quality of life and access to care.
According to the study, rural regions of Texas suffer from small-town doctor shortages, skyrocketing rates of preventable ailments like heart disease, and some of the highest uninsured rates in the nation.
The study compared rural healthcare nationwide and clearly showed that rural residents are healthier in states that embraced the Affordable Care Act and expanded Medicaid.
The top three states for healthy citizens are in New England. The Texas Observer notedthis fact when it proclaimed in its headline: “If Rural Texans Want Decent Health Care, They Should Mosey to New Hampshire.”