Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Closures of healthcare facilities and services
10 Things to Know About Rural Hospitals
Presents information and data on rural hospitals and rural hospital finances. Compares insurance coverage of discharges and births, margins, and the impact of Medicaid expansion by hospitals' rural and urban location. Includes information on rural hospital closures and Medicare special payment designations for rural hospitals. Discusses the potential impacts of recent federal spending proposals on rural hospitals.
Author(s): Scott Hulver, Zachary Levinson, Jamie Godwin, Tricia Neuman
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Presents information and data on rural hospitals and rural hospital finances. Compares insurance coverage of discharges and births, margins, and the impact of Medicaid expansion by hospitals' rural and urban location. Includes information on rural hospital closures and Medicare special payment designations for rural hospitals. Discusses the potential impacts of recent federal spending proposals on rural hospitals.
Author(s): Scott Hulver, Zachary Levinson, Jamie Godwin, Tricia Neuman
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Rural Hospital Closures and Nursing Home Outcomes
Details a study exploring the effect of rural hospital closures on rural nursing home outcomes in the corresponding county. Discusses care utilization and resident health and compares effects of hospital-based and non-hospital-based long-term care facilities.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Tyler Malone, Susie Gurzenda, George Pink
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e70026
Date: 04/2025
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Details a study exploring the effect of rural hospital closures on rural nursing home outcomes in the corresponding county. Discusses care utilization and resident health and compares effects of hospital-based and non-hospital-based long-term care facilities.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Tyler Malone, Susie Gurzenda, George Pink
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e70026
Date: 04/2025
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Sustaining Rural Hospital Access: Adjustments to Medicare Rural Hospital Designations
Describes the history of Medicare rural hospital designations. Discusses how traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid impact hospital finances. Outlines policy recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Congress regarding rural hospitals designations, payment adjustments, Medicare Advantage, and rural ambulance and emergency services.
Author(s): Emma Sheffert, Maya Sandalow
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Describes the history of Medicare rural hospital designations. Discusses how traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid impact hospital finances. Outlines policy recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Congress regarding rural hospitals designations, payment adjustments, Medicare Advantage, and rural ambulance and emergency services.
Author(s): Emma Sheffert, Maya Sandalow
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Plains and Southeast Areas Received Largest Share of Federal Community Facilities Program's Rural Hospital Funding, 2000 to 2020
Map comparing the amount of Community Facilities Program's rural hospital funding with rural hospital closures between 2000 and 2020 in the 8 Bureau of Economic Analysis geographic regions.
Author(s): Anil Rupasingha
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Map comparing the amount of Community Facilities Program's rural hospital funding with rural hospital closures between 2000 and 2020 in the 8 Bureau of Economic Analysis geographic regions.
Author(s): Anil Rupasingha
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Improving Access to Maternity Care in Iowa's Health Care Deserts
Examines maternal healthcare shortages and facility closures in Iowa. Discusses strategies to improve access, such as workforce training, graduate medical education, and collaborative opportunities.
Author(s): Diana Mirel
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Medical Association
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Examines maternal healthcare shortages and facility closures in Iowa. Discusses strategies to improve access, such as workforce training, graduate medical education, and collaborative opportunities.
Author(s): Diana Mirel
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Medical Association
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A Picture of the Loss of Rural Obstetrical Service in Alabama 1980 to 2025
County-level maps showing counties with hospitals offering obstetrical service in 1980 and those offering service as of March 2025.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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County-level maps showing counties with hospitals offering obstetrical service in 1980 and those offering service as of March 2025.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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Special Report on the Financial Health of Pennsylvania Rural Hospitals, Fiscal Year 2023
Focuses on Pennsylvania general acute care hospitals located in rural counties. Features statistics on changes from FY 2020 to FY 2023, including closures, operating margins, utilization, uncompensated care, and negative or positive growth, with breakdowns by rural and urban areas.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council
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Focuses on Pennsylvania general acute care hospitals located in rural counties. Features statistics on changes from FY 2020 to FY 2023, including closures, operating margins, utilization, uncompensated care, and negative or positive growth, with breakdowns by rural and urban areas.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council
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Key Facts About Hospitals
Presents information and data on hospitals and hospital spending. Covers national hospital spending, the hospital industry, use of hospital care, out-of-pocket spending and medical debt, hospital finances, and more. Includes a section on rural hospitals, which describes the prevalence of rural hospitals, rural hospital characteristics, discharges by payer, profit margins, and openings and closings of rural hospitals.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver, Jamie Godwin, Tricia Neuman
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Presents information and data on hospitals and hospital spending. Covers national hospital spending, the hospital industry, use of hospital care, out-of-pocket spending and medical debt, hospital finances, and more. Includes a section on rural hospitals, which describes the prevalence of rural hospitals, rural hospital characteristics, discharges by payer, profit margins, and openings and closings of rural hospitals.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver, Jamie Godwin, Tricia Neuman
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Maternity Care in California: An Environmental Scan
Examines factors affecting declining hospital-based maternity care services in California and identifies approaches to increase access and quality of care. Includes discussion of rural hospital closures and rural quality of care challenges, and highlights rural program models in California and Alaska.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: California Hospital Association
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Examines factors affecting declining hospital-based maternity care services in California and identifies approaches to increase access and quality of care. Includes discussion of rural hospital closures and rural quality of care challenges, and highlights rural program models in California and Alaska.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: California Hospital Association
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Instability Continues to Threaten Rural Health Safety Net: Reduced Reimbursements, Dwindling Access to Care and Deteriorating Population Health Status
Examines factors contributing to the instability of the rural healthcare safety net, including policy-related reimbursement cuts and changes to payer mixes. Presents data on rural hospitals that have stopped offering obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Explores aspects of rural population health and social drivers of health as they relate to rural healthcare delivery challenges.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Examines factors contributing to the instability of the rural healthcare safety net, including policy-related reimbursement cuts and changes to payer mixes. Presents data on rural hospitals that have stopped offering obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Explores aspects of rural population health and social drivers of health as they relate to rural healthcare delivery challenges.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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