A new report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform (CHQPR) reveals that over 700 rural hospitals in the U.S. are at risk of closure, with immediate risk for more than half. Financial instability due to inadequate reimbursement from health plans is the main cause, with Medicare often being the most lucrative payer for rural hospitals. Rising expenses are also a concern, with providers facing dissatisfaction over payment rates not keeping up. CHQPR suggests that private insurers need to increase payments to rural hospitals to prevent closures, which would only account for a small portion of national healthcare spending.
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Why More Than 30% of Rural Hospitals Are at Risk of Closure
