Erica R. Buteau : The ZIP code penalty: Why rural seniors are losing essential care

Rural life has its challenges, but most of us in northern New Hampshire have adapted. We’re used to quiet roads, long winters, and the reality that most specialists are at least an hour away. But now, a crisis is unfolding that no amount of stoicism can shrug off: our seniors are losing access to essential health care because Medicare Advantage plans are quietly abandoning this region.

Last year, seniors in northern New Hampshire could choose from more than 20 Medicare Advantage plans. Now, due to network withdrawals and dropped contracts, most are forced to choose from just two remaining options — neither of which guarantees access to the specialists they rely on. Doctors who serve our most vulnerable residents (oncologists, cardiologists, neurologists) are disappearing from coverage, leaving patients to fight through red tape or start over with someone new, far from home.