A report released last week from Planned Parenthood says that Minnesotans in rural communities face greater barriers to health care than their urban counterparts.

One of the barriers is poverty. The report says 14 percent of Minnesotans in rural places live in poverty compared to 11 percent in urban areas.

More than one in four Minnesotans live in a non-metro area — that’s a greater proportion than 27 other states.

The study goes on to point out that 94 percent of Planned Parenthood’s 64,000 patients are women, and nearly 60 percent of them live in rural Minnesota.

Other barriers are travel distance, lack of health services and no insurance.

“Poverty, lack of insurance and limited access to health care combine to result in poorer outcomes for Minnesota’s rural women, especially when it comes to reproductive health,” said Sarah Stoesz, president of Planned Parenthood Serving Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, which abbreviates itself as PPMNS.

The study found that rural residents are less likely to have health care coverage or prescription drug coverage and of the rural Minnesotans who are insured they often have “high premiums, large deductible and steep co-payments.”

The organization has 27 clinics in the three states, including one in Albert Lea at 113 E. Clark St.

“Albert Lea is one of those places where we really do reach those women in poverty,” said Kathi Di Nicola, director of media relations. She visited Albert Lea to talk about the report.

Here is what the report said about the Albert Lea clinic:

“The typical patient at our Albert Lea clinic is a woman between 20 and 30 years old who is at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level (annual income of $10,400 or less). She seeks basic family planning services and requires full or partial subsidy in order to access needed health care.”

And here are statistics about the Albert Lea clinic, with wording taken from the page:

Birth control (pill, patch, ring, shot, implant, IUD, diaphragm, condoms, fertility awareness)

Emergency contraception (Plan B)

Testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections

Testing and treatment for vaginal infections and urinary tract infections

HIV testing, counseling and referral

Pregnancy testing, counseling and referral for adoption, abortion and prenatal care

Annual exams, including screening for breast and cervical cancer

Advanced gynecological care, including colposcopy and LEEP

Routine physicals are women and men, along with patient education

Vaccines to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B

General health care services (cholesterol and diabetes screening, anemia testing)

 Patients served in 2007: 1,077

 Patients at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level: 61 percent

Patients eligible for health care services at little or no cost: 93 percent

Patients aged 18 years and older: 82 percent

Patients who are men: 5 percent

 Patients who identify as people of color and American Indians: 8 percent

 Patients who identify as Latino or Hispanic: 16 percent

 Patients who have public insurance (Medicaid, MinnesotaCare): 37 percent

 Patients who have private insurance: 21 percent

 Patients who require full or partial subsidy: 39 percent

 Patients who can afford the full cost of their care: 3 percent

Di Nicola said the women who go to the clinic are increasingly older and unemployed. She said there is an increase in requests for contraceptives, and many are seeking IUD instead of pills.

She said Planned Parenthood wishes to clarify the national conversation on health care, saying that more needs to be done about access to health care.

“We’ve focused our attention on helping women get the health care they need,” Di Nicola said.

Stoesz, in a prepared statement, said, “As lawmakers return to Washington to continue the conversation around meaningful health care reform, PPMNS wants to make sure that rural women are not left out of one of the most important public policy discussions of a generation.”

In addition to access, Planned Parenthood is calling for coverage of basic health services for women and protections for safety-net health care providers on which women depend for care, particularly in rural areas.

Here are some results from Planned Parenthood’s study:

“Minnesota statistics indicate that rural women are 30 percent more likely to be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer than are women living in metropolitan areas. Rural Minnesota women are also more likely to be diagnosed at an older age, and at a later stage of the disease, when treatment options may be less successful.”

“Fewer rural women receive recommended, preventive gynecological care, including mammograms, Pap tests, and colorectal cancer screening than do their urban peers.”

“Rural women are more likely to experience adverse pregnancy outcomes than are urban women. A number of state-based studies have found increased rates of infant mortality among rural residents as compared to urban residents.”

 “Rural women are less likely to receive even one family planning service over the course of a year than are urban women.”

“Teen pregnancy is endemic in rural Minnesota. Fully 43 counties in Minnesota have teen pregnancy rates higher than the state average; all but two of these counties are in Greater Minnesota.”

 “More than half of Minnesota’s rural counties have been designated as health professional shortage areas due to an inadequate number of primary care providers.”

“Nearly 40 percent of rural Minnesotans live in communities without adequate access to needed primary care services.”

 “Just 3 percent of Planned Parenthood’s Greater Minnesota patients can afford the full cost of their health care.”