The healthcare disparity between rural and urban areas has been a persistent problem that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, rural areas already had less capacity in hospital and emergency care settings as well as a life expectancy 2 years less than their urban counterparts. During the pandemic, these healthcare settings have had to deal with the lessened capacity as well as the, on average, older population. This is not to mention the higher rate of preexisting conditions as well as higher rates of poverty that has been a consistent factor in rural areas for many years. A restructuring of the healthcare system in rural areas would be integral in improving the situation for people served by these systems.