Administration pitches healthcare reform’s benefits for rural Americans

“As people look at the way rural America was treated under the former healthcare system, and as they compare the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, I think they’re going to find that there really does need to be this kind of effort in order to improve circumstances in rural America,” Vilsack said during the call.

And Sebelius touted some of the law’s investments for rural America. These include $11 billion for community health centers to double their capacity to 40 million patients by 2015, as well as student-loan relief and a temporary Medicare bonus for physicians who practice in rural or underserved areas.

“The Affordable Care Act will also help train and place more doctors, more nurse practitioners, more mental health specialists throughout rural America, which are often some of the more underserved areas,” Sebelius said.

Despite those benefits, the law is a mixed bag for rural areas.

Many small businesses — three-fourths of all rural firms have fewer than 20 employees — say the law’s tax credits are insufficient to cover their costs, which they fear will continue to grow because the law requires high-quality coverage. The law also failed to do much to tackle medical malpractice costs, which have contributed to a dearth of physicians in high-risk specialties such as obstetrics.