Rural hospitals in the news, again

Axios' Northwest Arkansas newsletter led yesterday with the travails of rural hospitals.  Here's the scoop:  

71% of rural hospitals in Arkansas are running in the financial red, according to a recent report from health care consultancy Chartis. The same is true for half of America's rural hospitals.

Why it matters: Millions of Americans, especially those in rural states like Arkansas, rely on local hospitals for emergency and other forms of care.The report also points out: "Within many rural communities, the hospital is often among the largest employers and thus a major contributor to the local economy."

Driving the news: While COVID-era government aid helped alleviate financial pressure on rural hospitals, such support has largely ended.The growth of Medicare Advantage enrollment is also taking a toll. 

"The Medicare alternative's popularity with seniors is cutting into a typically better funding source for rural hospitals — traditional Medicare — as hundreds of rural hospitals face financial calamity," Axios' Arielle Dreher reported last August.

Stunning stat: The jump from 43% of rural hospitals operating in the red last year to 50% this year is the single largest change in percentage in a one-year period that Chartis reports seeing.

What they're saying: "When you see all of this negative pressure, what you're really talking about is loss of access in the places where we need it — one could arguably say, most," says Michael Topchik, partner and executive director of the Chartis Center for Rural Health.He points to problems like suicide, opioid overdoses, alcohol-related deaths and more that plague rural America in particular. 

"I'm focusing on data on the providers, on the hospitals. But in the end, what we're really talking about is the communities served — and these are the most vulnerable communities in America."

Of course, you'll find a great deal more content on rural hospitals here on Legal Ruralism.