Federal regulators want most patients to see a health care provider in person before receiving prescriptions for potentially addictive medicines through telehealth — something that hasn’t been required in more than three years.
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State-by-state breakdown of the more than 34 million living in primary care deserts with limited telehealth access
#41. California
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 2 (.09% of population, 36,443 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: .03% (13,501 residents)
--- 100.0% rural (13,501 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 72.12%
#40. Nebraska
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 1 (.10% of population, 1,874 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: .09% (1,737 residents)
--- 100.0% rural (1,737 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 56.98%
#39. Nevada
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 9 (3.64% of population, 112,876 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 1.83% (56,766 residents)
--- 94.04% rural (53,385 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 74.0%
#38. Maryland
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 5 (5.14% of population, 317,441 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 2.44% (150,741 residents)
--- 34.47% rural (51,953 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 77.38%
#37. Wisconsin
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 11 (4.37% of population, 257,524 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 3.24% (190,739 residents)
--- 90.17% rural (171,986 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 57.17%
#36. Utah
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 11 (13.60% of population, 444,780 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 3.31% (108,228 residents)
--- 49.43% rural (53,495 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 80.63%
#35. Alabama
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 11 (5.57% of population, 280,091 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 4.22% (211,948 residents)
--- 57.96% rural (122,845 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 46.41%
#34. Colorado
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 36 (9.12% of population, 526,339 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 4.66% (268,961 residents)
--- 69.33% rural (186,480 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 73.13%
#33. New York
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 36 (15.31% of population, 3.1 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 6.61% (1.3 million residents)
--- 45.66% rural (610,033 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 65.31%
#32. Minnesota
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 34 (12.09% of population, 690,027 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 6.94% (395,757 residents)
--- 82.33% rural (325,828 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 61.67%
#31. Indiana
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 11 (13.19% of population, 894,690 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 7.15% (485,046 residents)
--- 32.94% rural (159,764 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 51.54%
#30. Ohio
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 37 (15.30% of population, 1.8 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 8.68% (1.0 million residents)
--- 68.76% rural (703,898 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 58.05%
#29. Florida
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 44 (26.16% of population, 5.6 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 9.59% (2.1 million residents)
--- 22.17% rural (457,927 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 72.06%
#28. Iowa
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 26 (19.37% of population, 618,064 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 10.23% (326,394 residents)
--- 59.96% rural (195,702 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 50.30%
#27. Michigan
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 47 (21.75% of population, 2.2 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 10.99% (1.1 million residents)
--- 52.64% rural (583,212 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 59.48%
#26. Oregon
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 22 (29.08% of population, 1.2 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 11.39% (482,462 residents)
--- 51.32% rural (247,595 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 71.17%
#25. Washington
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 27 (26.85% of population, 2.1 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 11.39% (877,687 residents)
--- 34.76% rural (305,045 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 71.27%
#24. Wyoming
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 8 (16.51% of population, 95,249 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 11.49% (66,253 residents)
--- 100.0% rural (66,253 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 51.73%
#23. Illinois
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 75 (21.03% of population, 2.7 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 11.98% (1.5 million residents)
--- 56.38% rural (865,105 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 62.02%
#22. Texas
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 208 (24.40% of population, 7.1 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 12.72% (3.7 million residents)
--- 50.82% rural (1.9 million residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 66.21%
#21. Arkansas
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 23 (18.20% of population, 548,008 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 12.91% (388,924 residents)
--- 68.43% rural (266,124 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 39.83%
#20. Delaware
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 2 (42.35% of population, 419,229 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 13.11% (129,737 residents)
--- .0% rural (0 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 74.67%
#19. Hawaii
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 3 (30.14% of population, 438,681 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 13.27% (193,134 residents)
--- 66.39% rural (128,221 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 73.52%
#18. Kansas
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 23 (32.69% of population, 960,360 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 13.34% (391,914 residents)
--- 38.90% rural (152,439 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 55.46%
#17. North Dakota
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 38 (30.39% of population, 236,749 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 13.43% (104,666 residents)
--- 77.63% rural (81,252 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 61.78%
#16. Virginia
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 77 (31.20% of population, 2.7 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 14.0% (1.2 million residents)
--- 56.37% rural (681,271 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 69.27%
#15. Tennessee
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 23 (35.55% of population, 2.5 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 14.67% (1.0 million residents)
--- 27.02% rural (273,857 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 55.43%
#14. Georgia
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 130 (40.57% of population, 4.3 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 20.44% (2.2 million residents)
--- 43.42% rural (950,791 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 66.37%
#13. South Dakota
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 46 (41.25% of population, 365,761 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 20.93% (185,573 residents)
--- 68.80% rural (127,668 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 56.41%
#12. Kentucky
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 57 (33.16% of population, 1.5 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 21.09% (950,143 residents)
--- 74.93% rural (711,908 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 45.76%
#11. Montana
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 39 (37.0% of population, 401,127 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 22.26% (241,366 residents)
--- 88.56% rural (213,763 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 53.59%
#10. Missouri
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 83 (38.25% of population, 2.4 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 23.84% (1.5 million residents)
--- 59.14% rural (867,856 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 51.65%
#9. North Carolina
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 87 (64.12% of population, 6.7 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 29.08% (3.0 million residents)
--- 34.83% rural (1.1 million residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 61.92%
#8. Louisiana
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 33 (51.75% of population, 2.4 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 29.31% (1.4 million residents)
--- 21.72% rural (296,468 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 44.66%
#7. Idaho
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 38 (62.55% of population, 1.2 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 30.72% (565,047 residents)
--- 57.38% rural (324,234 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 62.77%
#6. South Carolina
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 38 (61.89% of population, 3.2 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 31.93% (1.6 million residents)
--- 28.76% rural (469,901 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 55.14%
#5. Alaska
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 16 (77.31% of population, 567,012 residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 33.0% (242,016 residents)
--- 50.79% rural (122,921 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 54.29%
#4. New Mexico
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 26 (64.84% of population, 1.4 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 34.40% (728,484 residents)
--- 56.98% rural (415,092 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 44.38%
#3. Oklahoma
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 68 (61.49% of population, 2.4 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 36.07% (1.4 million residents)
--- 63.36% rural (904,880 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 49.19%
#2. Mississippi
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 47 (59.69% of population, 1.8 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 41.23% (1.2 million residents)
--- 54.60% rural (666,542 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 32.12%
#1. West Virginia
- Counties designated primary care deserts: 50 (84.66% of population, 1.5 million residents)
- Population in primary care deserts without broadband: 55.0% (986,511 residents)
--- 46.68% rural (460,463 residents)
- Population accessing broadband speeds: 36.68%
This story originally appeared on Sidecar Health and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
