Rural Americans are reported to have the tendency of going through chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart problems, cancer and encounter intense challenges in getting ‘quality healthcare’ than those in urban areas.

Also, the challenges faced by the healthcare providers for rural areas could increase owing to current healthcare legislation, as reported by the UnitedHealth Center for Health & Reform Modernization.

UnitedHealth Chair and report author, Simon Stevens said: "This is kind of an opportunity, as expanding coverage will mean that more people will have the ability to access care than before, but it's also a wake-up call".

Hence, the Center forecasts that about 8 million extra rural residents will join Medicaid, state and government-subsidized insurance plans in the national coverage expansions, compared to if the scenario was different. In addition, there would be a net expansion of several 5 million people, and the paper discovered that there are only 65 primary care physicians per 100,000 rural Americans, 40 or lower than the 105 per 100,000 ‘urban and suburban’ Americans.

Moreover, 5 million rural residents have been living in ‘shortage areas’ that have been referred to as counties with lower than 33 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents by the federal government while the number continues to reduce.