{"id":1999179,"date":"2025-04-17T16:25:57","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T20:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/?page_id=1999179"},"modified":"2025-10-20T19:17:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T23:17:24","slug":"dead-zone","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/dead-zone\/","title":{"rendered":"Dead Zone"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/span>\"The
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Dead Zone<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Millions of rural Americans live in counties with doctor shortages and where high-speed internet connections aren’t adequate to access advanced telehealth services. A KFF Health News analysis found people in these “dead zones” live sicker and die younger on average than their peers in well-connected regions. KFF Health News and partner InvestigateTV tell the stories of residents whose health care falls into the gap.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMillions in US Live in Places Where Doctors Don\u2019t Practice and Telehealth Doesn\u2019t Reach\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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March 10, 2025<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t

Nearly 3 million Americans live sicker, shorter lives in the hundreds of rural counties where doctor shortages are the worst and poor internet connections mean little or no access to telehealth services.<\/p>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRural Hospitals and Patients Are Disconnected From Modern Care\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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April 9, 2025<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t

Technological gaps handicap rural hospitals as billions in federal funding to modernize infrastructure lags. The reliance on outdated technology and piecemeal systems challenge staffs and erode patient care.<\/p>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFlawed Federal Programs Maroon Rural Americans in Telehealth Blackouts\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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May 14, 2025<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t

Taxpayers \u2014 through federal infrastructure programs \u2014 have paid billions of dollars to internet companies to hook up rural Americans. Some communities have nothing to show for it, leaving medically vulnerable rural patients disconnected and without access to telehealth.<\/p>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t

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