Hundreds of rural hospitals in the United States are at risk of closing, according to new data from Chicago-based medical advisory services firm Chartis.
A total of 141 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, and an additional 453 hospitals are “at risk of closure,” according to a press release.
The seven states with the most hospitals most susceptible to closures include Texas (45), Kansas (38), Nebraska (29), Oklahoma (22), North Carolina (19), Georgia (18), and Mississippi (18). It is included. Becker Hospital Reviews.
In Florida, Tennessee, and Nebraska, more than 41% of rural hospitals are at risk of closure.
Between 31% and 40% of rural hospitals are at risk in Utah, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
In Wyoming, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Georgia, 26% to 30% of rural hospitals are at risk of closing, the report said.
Factors influencing closure risk
The analysis identified seven factors that most significantly impact a hospital’s risk of closure.
Two of these were the number of years the hospital had been operating without a profit and the amount of net patient income.
The study also looked at the average number of hospital admissions per year and the average daily requirement for skilled nursing facilities.
The remaining three factors include a hospital’s reliance on inpatient revenue, the hospital’s share of Medicare outpatient charges, and each hospital’s case mix index.
Data shows that among rural hospitals that remain open, an increasing number are ceasing critical medical services such as cancer treatment and maternal care.
About 43% of rural hospitals were found to be operating at a loss, Chartis said.
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“As the urgency of the pandemic fades, a resurgence of policy-driven reimbursement cuts, population health disparities, and a nurse staffing crisis will threaten rural health safety nets,” said Michael Topchik, national leader of the Chartis Rural Center. “It will put new pressure on us.” Health, stated in release.
How closure affects patients
Dr. Kenneth Perry, a South Carolina emergency department physician who was not involved in the Chartis analysis, noted that rural hospitals are critical to the nation’s health care system.
“We have a lot of patients who don’t have access to primary care, but there are rural hospitals close enough that they get most of their care within those hospital systems,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Financial pressures on hospitals have increased in recent years, making it increasingly difficult for these hospitals to remain financially profitable.”
Between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and private insurers, Perry noted that hospitals are facing “lower reimbursement than ever before.”
“Despite lowering reimbursements, operating costs have skyrocketed,” he added. “This makes it very difficult for rural hospitals to generate enough revenue to stay open.”
Perry warned that in areas where hospitals are forced to close, many patients will not only lose hospital care, but also access to emergency departments.
“Many patients, especially those with low insurance premiums or those who are uninsured, rely on emergency departments as their source of primary care,” he said.
“If these hospitals close, many patients will no longer have access to all of their medical care.”
Without a viable solution, many patients will be unable to access emergency services or primary care, Perry said.
Impact of REH designation
Chartis’ new report aims to determine the potential impact of the Regional Hospital Emergency (REH) designation.
It was enacted by Congress in December 2020 as a means to ensure emergency medical services in rural hospitals that may lack the resources to provide them.
Once a hospital is designated as an REH, it can provide emergency department services, observational care, and potentially some outpatient services as long as the average patient stay does not exceed 24 hours, according to the center. . Medicare and Medicaid Services Website.
“For some hospitals, our data model shows that REH designation serves as a much-needed relief valve to avoid closure and deliver a major reversal of fortune for the vulnerable communities they serve. ,” Topchik said in the release.
“However, conversion decisions are highly sensitive and, as a result, we expect relatively few hospitals to adopt REH.”
There are 389 rural hospitals that Chartis has identified as “most likely” to consider transitioning to REH status, with 77 designated as “ideal candidates.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Chartis and the American Hospital Association for additional comment.
