The 'Dead Zones' of Alabama

In 19 Alabama counties, high-speed internet deserts overlap with health care provider shortages. Adult diabetes rates in these counties all exceed the national average of 12%.

Note: Primary care deserts have 281 or more Medicaid enrollees per provider, while the national median is 218. Behavioral health deserts have 1,680 or more residents per provider, while the national median is 1,119. Medicaid data as of 2020. Behavioral health data as of 2021. FCC data as of June 2024. Diabetes rates are crude (unadjusted) • Read our full methodology.
Sources: FCC National Broadband Map, George Washington University’s Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, U.S. Census Bureau, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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