ABSTRACT

Healthcare access is a problem for many Americans. Most underserved populations include rural residents, the minority, the elderly, emergency care recipients, and the Medicaid eligible—poor, disabled, and children. Workforce shortage, lack of healthcare insurance, and geographic distance are primary barriers to health services. States are responding to professional shortages using incentives to recruit and train. Insurance access is improved through Medicaid waivers, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, and private insurance regulations. Telehealth consortiums across states and institutions are bringing health services to rural and urban isolates through advanced technology.