Caden DeLisa
Jul 8, 2024
A healthcare report identified barriers to healthcare access in Florida, such as cost, facility accessibility, insurance coverage, and a physician shortage, while proposing technological advancements like telehealth as potential solutions.
A healthcare report published by Florida TaxWatch last month identified barriers to health care access in Florida, including cost, facility accessibility, insurance coverage, and a physician shortage as contributing factors, with technological advancements presenting a possible lifeline.
Cost remains an obstacle for many Floridians, with a 2019 survey noting that 55 percent of residents face financial strain from healthcare expenses and 78 percent are worried about future costs. Such financial burdens often result in delayed treatments, skipped medications, and untreated conditions, which worsen health outcomes and escalate long-term costs, and the report recommends evaluating state policies on healthcare costs and considering reforms such as Medicaid expansion and state-level insurance mandates.
“The biggest contributor to inaccessible health care is cost,” the report states. “According to the National Health Interview Survey, as of 2019, 8.5 percent of U.S. residents were unable to obtain, or delayed obtaining, medical care due to costs.”
Florida TaxWatch also highlighted disparities in healthcare access between urban and rural areas, finding that rural regions have significantly fewer healthcare providers, about 1.3 physicians per 1,000 people, compared to 3.1 per 1,000 in urban areas. The report further claimed that primary care offices with limited hours, exclusively urban locations, and cultural barriers can further exacerbate existing disparity in healthcare services.