Rural Georgians and their Fight for Equal Access to Healthcare
The population of your county should not determine your health. In Georgia, it does. Georgians are more likely to die from preventable deaths if they live in nonmetropolitan or rural areas. For example, rural Georgians are five times more likely to die from preventable, early cancer deaths. Preventable deaths are defined as those that could have been avoided by timely and effective care. Other common preventable deaths are a result of illnesses like heart disease, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease and strokes.
Inadequate rural healthcare can specifically be seen in the number of heart disease deaths each year following COVID-19. Currently, the leading cause of death in Georgia is heart disease. Prior to the pandemic, rural Georgians were more likely to die from heart disease than those who lived in the city. COVID-19 delayed and limited emergency care access and led to increased high blood pressure. Following COVID-19, healthcare disparity in rural Georgia worsened. In 2022, 56% of heart disease deaths were preventable in rural Georgia. In comparison, 41% of the same deaths were preventable in metropolitan areas.
Many Georgians are affected by this gap in rural healthcare. In 2020, 21% of the state’s population was living in rural areas. Essentially, 21% of Georgians, over 2,300,000 people, were suffering from inadequate care. This disparity in care is a result of multiple factors such as workforce shortages and hospital closures. Many doctors, nurses, and other members of the healthcare profession do not want to move to and practice in rural areas. Without doctors nearby, Georgians have to travel farther and pay more for care. Additionally, many small towns and rural counties have faced major hospital closures. Since 2010, nine rural hospitals have closed in Georgia. As of 2025, there are 53 rural counties in Georgia without a hospital. That means there are 53 communities who do not receive regular local care.
Other factors related to Georgia’s healthcare disparity include limited internet access and lack of health insurance coverage. An estimated 9% of Georgians are without broadband internet access. Most Georgians without access live in rural areas of the state. Internet access helps connect patients with telehealth resources when there are no nearby hospitals. It is an essential tool for rural Georgians.
Another major contributor to the preventable death gap in Georgia is the lack of healthcare coverage in rural communities. 16% of people in nonmetropolitan counties were uninsured compared to the 13.6% uninsured in metropolitan areas. People are less likely to see healthcare professionals on a regular basis if they cannot afford or access the care.
These gaps and disparities are not just limited to Georgia. They exist on a national scale. An estimated 15% of the United States’ population lives in nonmetropolitan areas. This 15% of the population is more likely to die from preventable diseases like heart disease and cancer. In 2022, there were a total of 20,000 preventable deaths in rural America from heart disease alone.
How does the United States and Georgia work to fix healthcare disparity in rural Georgia? Preventable deaths such as heart disease, cancer, and strokes can be reduced. Methods to reduce include screening patients for high blood pressure, early cancer detection, physical activity and more. These methods require access to healthcare professionals. The technology is available. It just needs to be made available to every Georgian, regardless of hometown.
There have been efforts made to strengthen rural hospitals and healthcare in Georgia. In 2026, two major pieces of legislation regarding rural healthcare were passed: Senate Bill 111 and Senate Bill 170.
Senate Bill 111 revised the definition of “rural hospital organization” to include rural freestanding emergency departments. In Georgia, rural hospital organizations qualify for the Rural Hospital Tax Credit. The tax credit allows taxpayers in Georgia to reduce their state income tax liability through donations to rural hospitals. Freestanding emergency departments (FSEDs) provide emergency care but are separate and distinct from hospitals. They are open 24/7 with access to emergency physicians, nurses and laboratory and radiology technicians. Increased funding for FSEDs provides rural communist who lack hospitals and emergency rooms with timely care.
Senate Bill 170 created a grant program to fund rural hospitals and their acquisition backup generators. The aftermath of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene left many rural communities and hospitals in crisis. Funding is provided through Senate Bill 170 to keep the rural hospitals that do exist functioning following these natural disasters.
However, Georgia can do more. Fully expanding Medicaid would be a major step and allow Georgians to seek attention without fear of high costs. More feasible rural healthcare legislative expansion includes increasing internet access in rural communities to provide ease of telehealth visits. Additionally, partnerships with local and state transportation for Georgians without Medicaid coverage could ease the travel cost of many who cannot afford to travel for every hospital visit. However, it is clear the state needs to continue to prioritize rural healthcare when allocating funds and resources to the state.