KFF used data from the Federal Communications Commission, George Washington University’s Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity, U.S. Census Bureau, CDC, and other data to understand the health status and demographics of counties that lacked reliable broadband and healthcare providers.
Here are six things to know from the report:
1. Patients across more than 200 rural counties in the South, Appalachia and remote West are more often left in both care and internet deserts than those in other regions.
2. Without reliable internet, patients may struggle to log into their patient portals and sign on to video calls with physicians.
3. High rates of chronic illness and historical inequities are common in communities with poor internet service.
4. This year, more than $43 billion from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is expected to start going to states to help increase access to the internet, but the program faces uncertainty after Commerce Department Secretary Howard Lutnick announced a review of all the previous administration’s mandates.
5. More than 133 funding programs administered by 15 agencies have tried to fix connectivity dead zones, but inequities persist.
6. For reliable access to telehealth care, patients require a minimum internet speed of 100/100 Mbps.
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