It also does not account for the impact of health services that are lost when consumers purchase these services outside the region. If Howell County health care providers captured a larger market share of the region's health care sales, their impact on the local economy would obviously increase. In addition, this report does not attempt to quantify the contribution to the quality of life in Howell County that health care providers make. Clearly, the availability of a broad range of these services makes Howell County a safer, better, more pleasant place in which to live. Local residents and firms interested in the future of health services in the County ought to consider each of these factors left out of the current study.
Health care is very important to the economic future of all Missouri communities.
These percentages are even higher in rural Missouri. Changes in the health care industry, such as managed care and Medicare and Medicaid policy, will affect the future economic viability of health care providers. Further research is needed to understand the overall economic impacts of these changes on Howell County. To develop this report, researchers followed a pre-designed set of procedures. First, a comprehensive list of potential health care providers in Howell County was produced.