This becomes more complicated the farther the distance you get from the medical facilities of the large metropolitan cities. .
The life expectancy of persons living in rural America is actually declining due to treatable conditions such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These illnesses could be managed with proper medical treatment; however, Americans living in rural areas, have access to only about ten percent of the nation's doctors.
The widespread shortage of physicians in the underserved rural areas is only going to intensify as the baby boomer-generation physicians reach retirement age. "An estimated 38 percent of physicians in Nevada are older than 55, and about one in five licensed practicing physicians is older than 65 " ( Reno Gazette Journal, 2008). As the widespread shortage of physician worsens, the rural communities will be hit the hardest.
The shortage of doctors in rural America has not gone unnoticed. In 2009, Congress earmarked $500 million for the National Health Service Corps. The National Health Service Corps offers up to $120,000 to pay off medical school debt to physicians who are willing to work for four years in underserved rural areas. The Association of American Medical Colleges state the average debt for medical student graduates is about $156,000 (AAMC, 2006). .
Community leaders have tried several ways to convince physicians to practice in rural areas. Community leaders have begun offering incentive packages. These packages include; loan repayment, visa waivers, and flexible work options. Incentives are ways some states attempt to lure doctors away from practicing in larger, metropolitan areas. Wisconsin offers $50,000 in debt forgiveness for a three-year commitment to certain underserved rural areas (Wisc. Dept. of Health). The new health care reform law addresses the problem, with incentives of a 10 percent bonus to physicians who treat Medicare patients in rural areas and additional money for rural hospitals.