Health Care Access

A persistent criticism of the United States health care system arises from inequality in access. While this problem manifests in many ways, it largely stems from income disparity: statistics published in 2017 found that the average life expectancies of the wealthiest Americans exceed those of the poorest Americans by as much as fifteen years. Other key contributing factors include location and transportation access. Significant divides in the respective health care outcomes of urban and rural populations indicate that people who live outside cities face multiple distinct obstacles to obtaining care. Transportation barriers have been causally linked to similar problems, especially among lower-income individuals, the underinsured, and senior citizens.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 contains provisions designed to assist...