USA Today: "Rural hospitals in critical condition"
43 Rural Hospitals Closed: 283 more closures are likely “Since the beginning of 2010, 43 rural hospitals—with a total of more than 1,500 beds—have closed, according to data from the North Carolina Rural Research Program. The pace of closures has quickened: from 3 in 2010 to 13 in 2013, and 12 already this year. Georgia alone has lost five rural hospitals since 2012, and at least six more are teetering on the brink of collapse. Each of the state’s closed hospitals served about 10,000 people—a lot for remaining area hospitals to absorb. “The Affordable Care Act was designed to improve access to health care for all Americans and will give them another chance at getting health insurance during open enrollment starting this Saturday. But critics say the ACA is also accelerating the demise of rural outposts that cater to many of society’s most vulnerable. These hospitals treat some of the sickest and poorest patients—those least aware of how to stay healthy.” For the complete article, see USA Today.
USA Today profiles the now closed Stewart-Webster Hospital in Georgia. "We saved lives," says Ammons, who was a nurse at the Stewart-Webster. "We saved a lot of lives."
As many as 283 more hospitals are on the verge of closure. Call or email Congress NOW and tell them to stop the cuts to rural hospitals.- Rural hospitals provide quality, affordable care to 62 million rural Americans. Small, rural hospitals, known as Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), represent over 26% of all community hospitals, yet Medicare expenditures to CAHs are less than 5% of the Medicare hospital budget.
- CAHs provide cost-effective primary care. In fact, the government spends 2.5% per year on rural Medicare beneficiaries than on urban beneficiaries. This focus on primary care, as opposed to specialty care, saves Medicare $2.2 billion a year.
- Rural health care providers account for 20% of local economic output and are critical to attracting new business, workers, and visitors.
- Congress must take affirmative steps to stop rural hospital cuts and stop the closures!