Medicare Advantage will 'sink' rural hospitals, experts warn

Medicare Advantage will 'sink' rural hospitals, experts warn 
Modern Healthcare; by Michael Mcauliff; 5/14/24 
Rural hospitals, which tend to run on thinner operating margins than metro-area hospitals, have been hurt by reimbursement cuts, staffing constraints, inflation, the aging population and interest rate hikes. ... Studies by Chartis [Center for Rural Heaalth] and others paint the bleak picture for rural hospitals. According to a recent estimate by the nonprofit Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, about 700 rural hospitals are at risk of closing. A recent Chartis report estimated 167 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, with another 418 vulnerable to closure now. [Click on the title's link for patient care examples and more stats.]