Write a research paper on Health Insurance Coverage Disparities between Rural and Urban Counties: An Analysis Using SAHIE Data.Background: Equitable health insurance distribution across populations is vital for ensuring broad healthcare access. Historically, disparities between rural and urban areas in the U.S. have persisted, with rural areas often at a disadvantage. Objective: To quantify and analyze the disparities in health insurance coverage between rural and urban counties in the U.S. Methods: We employed the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) dataset, spanning from 2010 to 2021. Descriiptive and longitudinal analyses were performed. For this study, prominent urban counties such as New York County (New York), Los Angeles County (California), and Cook County (Illinois) were chosen. These were contrasted with rural counties like Holmes County (Mississippi) Owsley County (Kentucky) Wilcox County (Alabama). Results: On average, rural counties exhibited a health insurance coverage rate of 88.9%, compared to 91.5% in urban counties. Over the decade, the disparity between rural and urban regions widened from 0.2 percentage points in 2010 to 2.6 percentage points in 2021. Policy Implications: The observed data suggests a crucial disparity in health insurance coverage between rural and urban areas. While rural counties display a commendable coverage rate of 88.9%, the widening gap in comparison to urban areas, which has grown from a mere 0.2 percentage points in 2010 to 2.6 percentage points in 2021, cannot be overlooked. This trend emphasizes the importance of targeted outreach programs specifically tailored for rural regions to counteract this disparity. To formulate effective solutions, it’s imperative to delve deeper into the root causes that have led to this increasing divergence over the decade whether these are due to economic shifts, differential access to healthcare facilities, or variations in the availability of affordable health insurance options.
