Newly published projections from The Commonwealth Fund highlight persistent physician shortages, limited telehealth access and infrastructure and payment challenges in rural healthcare. The projections were published in The State of Rural Primary Care in the United States and drawn from the Commonwealth Fund 2023 International Health Policy Survey and federal health workforce data. They find that rural communities already have fewer physicians than they need, a shortage that is expected to continue. To fill the gap, The Commonwealth Fund projects that rural communities will increasingly rely on advanced practice providers (APPs), who are already more abundant. While overall rural healthcare workforce availability may be sufficient when APPs are included, disparities remain in telehealth access. Limited access to physicians and telehealth has also contributed to higher use of emergency departments and other costly sites, a trend exacerbated by rural hospital closures and greater transportation needs.
