The Medicaid and CHIP programs are vital to rural Missouri, according to a report that says reliance on this safety-net health coverage is much higher in small towns than in cities - especially for children.
The Georgetown University report says proposed federal cuts threaten rural communities, where nearly 41% of children rely on Medicaid, compared to 38% in metro areas.
Dr. Shanon Luke, a pediatrician at a Federally Qualified Health Center in rural Missouri, said her clinic is essential to a community where the nearest hospital is 45 minutes away.
"The clinic being open is incredibly important to these kids receiving healthcare," said Luke. "Having Medicaid allows them to come in for their well-child checks, and for us to do some monitoring and treating of things before they get to scary points."
The report says to stay afloat, many rural hospitals have already been forced to close less profitable units. In 2022, 52% eliminated their maternity wards, compared to 36% of urban hospitals.
The report also reveals disparities, with about 40% of American Indian and Alaska Native people more likely to live in non-metro areas without access to adequate healthcare.
Joan Alker is the executive director and co-founder of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. She said Medicaid helps recipients through much-needed preventive care.
"People wind up sicker and then, they're in the emergency room," said Alker, "and children can't get their asthma inhalers and they miss school."
Statistics show Medicaid helps prevent medical debt, covers most nursing home residents, and funds a significant portion of births and maternal care - issues Dr. Luke said her patients are familiar with, firsthand.
"For our families, both financially and medically, as well as mentally," said Luke, "it's really important to know that they have that coverage."
Just over 24% of Missouri's population lives in rural areas.
The Missouri Public News Service is a partner with KRCU Public Radio.
