Rural hospitals face widespread closures

By Cassidy Morrison

Published February 20, 2019 6:38pm ET

Add Washington Examiner on Google

Rural hospitals face widespread closures — The emergency room of Flint River Community Hospital sits closed in Montezuma, Ga. Analysts say that rural hospitals are struggling nationally because they typically serve small populations of customers more likely to be older, uninsured or enrolled in government health care programs that do not fully pay their bills. | (AP Photo/David Goldman)

One-in-five hospitals in rural areas are at risk of closing despite being vital to their communities, according to a new Navigant Consulting study released Thursday.

The hardest-hit regions would be the South and Midwest, including Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas, Georgia, and Minnesota. Southern states have higher uninsured rates than the rest of the country, according to Kaiser Family Foundation research, making them particularly vulnerable.

Print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Digital subscriber? Click here to login/register your account.

Full midterm coverage.Deeper analysis.

Get unlimited access to Washington Examiner's reporting, expert analysis, and coverage of the midterm elections.

Get Unlimited Access

Cancel anytime.

Tag:

Amy Klobuchar Chuck Grassley Cory Gardner Medicare and Medicaid