Getting necessary health care is tough but for rural Americans it’s getting tougher. Recent data shows that rural hospitals are closing at an alarming rate and it’s only getting worse.
Here’s Five Fast Facts …… :
- 🏥 Say What Now? - More than 300 hospitals in rural America are in immediate danger of closing because of their financial problems.
- 🗺️ Where? - All but five states (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Utah) have rural hospitals at risk. In over half of all states, 25% or more are at risk of closure and in 16 states, 40% or more are on the brink.
- 🚑 What’s Causing It? - Critics argue that insurance plans don’t reimburse rural hospitals adequately, making it more expensive to provide healthcare in rural areas. Rural hospitals also don’t have enough in the way of net assets to make up for those losses for more than six or seven years.
- 👨⚕️ Is This a New Thing? - Rural hospitals were already experiencing financial trouble and staff shortages before the pandemic. Those departures worsened due to stress, burnout, and unruly patients.
- 🤑 Medicaid Helps - Health experts also point out that states with higher closure rates just happen to be the states that haven’t accepted Medicaid expansion. Private insurers pay less than Medicaid. So, they also pay rural hospitals much less than larger locations.
🔥Bottom line: The medical system was already strained during the pandemic and things are about to get worse. If these closures continue, rural Americans are going to have to drive considerable distances in some cases to get the medical care they need. In the worst cases, they won’t have immediate access to an emergency room and that could end in some fatal results.
Do you live in a rural area and have trouble finding a doctor?
Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook and Instagram! Also, remember to share this newsletter with your friends & coworkers!
Btw, If you’ve read this far and haven’t yet signed up for the weekly Paycheckology newsletter, CLICK HERE!
