Rural America Hurt by Health Insurance Pinch

Even if a farmer or rancher has a thriving business and has health insurance coverage, he or she may have a tough time paying for doctor visits or hospital stays.

This was documented in a report issued by the Access Project, an affiliate of the Schneider Institute for Health Policy at Brandeis University.

The good news from the survey was that the vast majority of the farm and ranch families had health insurance coverage.

Nevertheless, 20% of respondents said they had taken on debt to pay for healthcare expenses.

The reports points a finger at high out-of-pocket health-care expenses, even for those with health insurance. The surveyors noted that about 33% of respondents had purchased individual health insurance, By comparison, only 8 percent of Americans as a whole are covered by individual health insurance policies, which usually offer less comprehensive coverage.