Nevada’s percentage of rural residents without health insurance has dropped by about two-thirds since 2009.
A new report from Georgetown University and the University of North Carolina indicates that Nevada’s uninsured rate for rural and small-town residents dropped from 42 percent in 2009 to 14 percent in 2016, the second-biggest decline in the nation.
Rural communities and small towns in the U.S. tend to have more people without health insurance than cities do.
But the report finds states that have expanded access to Medicaid have been able to narrow that urban-rural gap.
The report shows when adults are able to access health coverage, their children are more likely to get coverage too.
Emma Rodriguez with the Children’s Advocacy Alliance says increased access to health care has been especially important in rural Nevada communities where childhood asthma is common.