MidAmerica Farm Publications


19 N. Main, Perryville, MO 63775 www.mafg.net


573-547-2244 • FAX 573-547-5663 The MidAmerica


Farmer Grower


(ISSN 1040-1423) is published weekly by MidAmerica Farm Publications, Inc., 19 N. Main, Perryville, MO 63775. Periodical postage is paid at Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.


POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Circulation Manager, MidAmerica Farmer Grower, P.O. Box 323, Perryville, MO 63775.


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the top, along with non-farm employ- ment opportunities. Having grown up in or lived in rural communities, we un- derstand the importance of hospital and health care access to rural resi- dents. Living in Knoxville, TN, we have ac-


pennings O


f all the non-farm-bill issues af- fecting rural communities, access to health care is certain to be near


cess to 8 hospitals each with 86 or more beds within a 20 or 30-minute drive of our homes. By way of contrast, as of 2009, 15 percent of US counties were without a single hospital or a sur- geon. Another 15 percent had a hospi- tal but no surgeon. Since 2010, 80 rural hospitals have closed. In addition, 54 percent of rural counties are with- out hospital-based obstetric services. In a study, “Rural Healthy People


2010,” by the Texas A&M Health Sci- ence Center and The Florida State Uni- versity


College of Medicine


(https://tinyurl.com/y8eanh5e), re- searchers conducted a nationwide sur- vey to identify the top ten health priorities of a survey of rural residents. The top item, identified by 76.3 per-


cent of respondents, was access to quality health care services: a) access to quality health in- surance, b) access to primary care, and c) access to quality emergency services. Rural counties have fewer


general practitioners per capita and specialists are pri- marily located in larger cities. As a result, people need to drive further to access most basic health care services. Compounding the problem,


the residents of rural counties are poorer and older than those living in urban areas. Farmers and other rural resi- dents are less likely to have access to full or partial em- ployer paid health insurance plans. The consequence of these


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MidAmerica Farmer Grower P.O. Box 323


Perryville, MO 63775 2• MidAmerica Farmer Grower / December 7, 2018


challenges in accessing health care services is people living in medically underserved areas are more likely to delay access to health care services, often with long-term conse- quences that increase even- tual costs. Even though most rural residents 65 and older have health care insurance through either Medicare or Medicaid, they are still nega- tively affected by the long drives. Nutrition and weight status


in rural areas was the second priority, followed by 3) dia- betes, 4) mental health and mental disorders, 5) sub-


team from the U of I De- partment of Agricultural and Consumer Economics will explore topics such as the 2019 outlook for crop and livestock prices, the farm profitability outlook and management chal- lenges, the next farm bill, long-term trends in grain prices, and prospects for farmland values at the 2018 Illinois Farm Eco- nomics Summit in Decem- ber. Great crops in many


S


parts of the state this year, along with Market Facilita- tion Payments on soy- beans, are helping to support incomes in 2018. “Looking forward, the story of Illinois agriculture will continue to be one of man- aging volatility and finan- cial stress,” says U of I agricultural


economist


Scott Irwin. “The stress has been brought on by low


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor are requested and encouraged. Please include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. Letters should be sent to: Editor, MidAmerica Farmer Grower, P.O. Box 323, Perryville, MO 63775; faxed to 573-547-5663 or e-mailed to editor@mafg.net. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.


∆ Contact Dr. Harwood D. Schaffer or Dr. Daryll E. Ray at the UTʼs Agricultural Policy Analysis Center by calling (865) 974-7407,faxing (865) 974-7298, or emailing hdschaffer@utk.edu or dray@utk.edu. For more info, visit: www.agpolicy.org


Health Care And Rural Counties


stance abuse, 6) heart disease and stroke, 7) physical activity and health, 8) older adults, 9) maternal, infant, and child health, and 10) tobacco use. While at the time the survey


was conducted, the Affordable Care Act was just in the process of being rolled out, preliminary date indicated that the number of rural residents with health insurance in- creased, particularly in those states that expanded Medicaid access. The ultimate goal set by the study is for 100 percent of the population to be covered by health insurance. The study covers, in some detail,


DR. HARWOOD D. SCHAFFER


Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, Sociology


Department, University of Tennessee and Director,


Agricultural Policy Analysis Center DR. DARYLL E. RAY


Emeritus Professor, Institute of Agriculture, University


of Tennessee and Retired


Director, Agricultural Policy Analysis Center


many of the critical health care issues faced by rural residents. The challenges have been documented and most of them fall outside the purview of the farm bill. As a result, even after the farm bill is


passed, the need for members of Con- gress to pay attention to rural health care issues is just as pressing as ever. Congress in cooperation with state and local officials needs to develop and help


fund policies and programs to address the specific health care challenges fac- ing rural communities.


∆ Dr. Harwood D. Schaffer: Adjunct Re-


search Assistant Professor, Sociology Department, University of Tennessee and Director, Agricultural Policy Analy- sis Center Dr. Daryll E. Ray: Emeritus Professor,


Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee and Retired Director, Agricul- tural Policy Analysis Center


2018 Illinois Farm Economics Summit Scheduled For December


URBANA, ILL.


peakers from Univer- sity of Illinois Exten- sion and the farmdoc


corn, soybean, and wheat prices, and especially the ongoing trade war with China. “Producers and landown-


ers continue to face a se- ries


of difficult


management challenges as they grapple with adjusting to this highly volatile eco- nomic environment. What is the prospect for a recov- ery in grain prices? Should cash rents be lower? And if so, how much? What strategies can be used to weather the current tough times?” The Illinois Farm Eco-


nomics Summit meetings will be scheduled in five lo- cations across the state during the month of De- cember. Hosted by U of I Extension, the format for the meetings will be fast- paced and allow plenty of time for questions from the audience. Irwin says farm owners,


operators, ag lenders, and agribusiness professionals will benefit from the infor-


mation presented at this year’s summit. The dates and locations


are as follows: • Dec. 17 – DoubleTree,


Mt. Vernon • Dec. 18 – Crowne Plaza,


Springfield • Dec. 19 – Par-A-Dice


Hotel Casino, East Peoria • Dec. 20 – Faranda’s


Banquet Center, Dekalb • Dec. 21 – I Hotel and


Conference Center, Cham- paign The registration fee for


each location is $85 per person. Save $5 by regis- tering online for $80. This fee includes all meeting materials, break refresh- ments, and lunch. Regis- tration at the door will be $90 per person, as space permits. Register by Dec. 10. Register


online Simpson at


http://www.regonline.com /IFES2018. For registra- tion questions, contact Nancy


nsimp1@illinois.edu 217-244-9687.


ARTICLE REPRINTS For reprints of an article, copies of past issues or to obtain permission to reproduce material from MidAmerica Farmer Grower, call 573-547-2244 or email publisher@mafg.net


at or ∆


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