Rural Healthcare

Half of US Rural Hospitals Operate at a Loss

February 14, 2024 - Rural healthcare’s outlook just worsened, according to a new analysis from Chartis, a healthcare advisory firm. The updated analysis of key indicators such as rural hospital operating margin, facility closures, and loss of access to care and services paints a grim picture for rural hospitals in the US, particularly independent...

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Hospital Outpatient Departments Preserve Care Access for Rural Patients

by Victoria Bailey

Rural populations and other vulnerable patients disproportionately rely on hospitals and their outpatient departments for care, according to a report from the American Hospital Association...

How a GoFundMe Page Aims to Keep a Rural Hospital Open

by Jacqueline LaPointe

When financial troubles turned dire, leaders of a rural hospital turned to a popular source of funding to support their efforts to get back on their feet: GoFundMe. Crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe are popular among individuals...

Reducing Barriers to MIPS, Advanced APMs Could Promote Participation

by Victoria Bailey

Reducing barriers to Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) participation for physicians in rural areas could help promote value-based care and control rising Medicare spending, according to research...

MGMA: Sustainable Financing Needed to Protect Rural Healthcare

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Physician and facility reimbursement for rural practices is not sustainable and is impacting patient access to rural healthcare, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) tells Congress in a new...

Medicaid Expansion Tied to Fewer Financial Challenges for Rural Hospitals

by Victoria Bailey

Rural hospitals in states that have not implemented Medicaid expansion have faced steeper financial challenges than those in expansion states, according to an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation...

REH Designation May Help Small Share of Rural Hospitals Avoid Closure

by Victoria Bailey

The new Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation could help nearly 88 rural hospitals avoid closures but will likely not have a widespread impact on safety-net facilities, according to a report from...

Value-Based Platform Will Join CMS Incentive Program to Support Rural ACOs

by Victoria Bailey

Value-based care platform Signify Health announced plans to participate in the CMS Advance Investment Payments (AIP) incentive program to support providers in rural and underserved communities. Rural...

Private Equity Ownership of Rural Hospitals is Growing, Report Finds

by Victoria Bailey

Private equity firms own at least 130 rural hospitals, raising concerns about care quality, staffing levels, and financial pressures at these facilities, according to a report from the Private Equity...

UPMC Shifts Site To An Outpatient Emergency Department

by Jacqueline LaPointe

UPMC is converting a small hospital in rural Clinton County, Pennsylvania, to an outpatient emergency department (ED) under the state’s new Innovative Hospital Models project. Innovative Hospital...

Financial Losses, Poor Assets Driving Closure Risks for Rural Hospitals

by Victoria Bailey

More than 600 rural hospitals are at risk of closing after consistently losing money on patient services and lacking net assets to offset these losses, according to data from the Center for Healthcare...

Low Reimbursement, Staffing Shortages Lead to Rural Hospital Closures

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Low reimbursement rates, staffing shortages, low patient volumes, and regulatory barriers are some of the root causes of rural hospital closures, the American Hospital Association (AHA) explains in a...

HHS Allocates $60M to Address Rural Healthcare Workforce

by Sarai Rodriguez

Many rural areas do not have a sufficient workforce supply that meets the needs of their community. Through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS has invested...

House Reps Ask HHS to Clarify Critical Access Hospital Payment Rule

by Victoria Bailey

A bipartisan group of 25 House members has asked HHS to clarify its plans regarding the enforcement of Medicare’s 96-hour payment rule for critical access hospitals (CAHs) following the end of...

New Medicare Provider Designation to Prevent Rural Hospital Closures

by Jacqueline LaPointe

CMS has proposed a rule to establish a new rural hospital designation that would enable small rural hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to expand access to care and receive Medicare payment...

HRSA Releases $48M to Boost Rural Healthcare Workforce

by Sarai Rodriguez

Through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS is awarding $48 million in grants for community-based organizations in rural and tribal areas to bolster the healthcare workforce in...

Why Rural Providers Aren’t Transitioning to Alternative Payment Models

by Jacqueline LaPointe

A smaller percentage of providers in rural or health professional shortage areas eligible to participate in Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) did partake in the Quality Payment Program track compared to providers not located in...

Rural Healthcare Providers Get $7.5B in COVID-19 Relief Funds

by Jacqueline LaPointe

The Bident Administration has announced $7.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan for rural healthcare providers who treat Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program...

Maternal, Surgical Care Eliminated After Rural Hospital Mergers

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Are rural hospitals trading obstetric and surgical care in exchange for financial stability? According to a new study published in Health Affairs, those services lines and others may be at stake...

Federal Loan Repayment Alleviating Severe Clinician Shortages

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Providers practicing in areas with the most severe clinician services are receiving more workforce funding through National Health Service Corps (NHSC) programs that offer either loan repayment or...

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