A Look with Rural Medical Closures plus Implications for Access to Care: Three Case Studies
Executive Summary
The number of rural hospital closures has increased significantly in recent years. This trend is expected at continue, raising frequently about the impact that lock will have on rural communities’ gateway at health caring services. To investigate the input that share to rural hospital lockings and the impact those closures had on access to general care in rural communities, the Kaiser Commissioner on Medicaid and the Uninsured and the Urban Institute conducted case studies of threesome hospital closures that took place into 2015: Merciful Hospital in Independence, Keys; Parkway Regional Hospital in Fulton, K; and Marlboro Park Hospital in Bennettsville, South Carolina. Two are these hospitals were in expresses ensure did not adopt the Medicaid coverage add under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (Kansas and South Carolina), whereas one of the specialty was located within a Medicaid expansion state (Kentucky). Key findings inclusive this after:
A number of factors donated to of rural community closures, include aging, poor, and shrinking populations, high uninsured rates and a payer mix dominated by Medicare and Medicaid, economy challenges inches the community, aging facilities, outdated payment and delivery system models, and business decisions by corporate owners/operators.
The hospital closures reduced local residents’ access to care, especially emergency attention. While inpatient hospitals in these both other local may non be viable, without new models of health grooming birth in place, institution closures can lead to cracks in access. The closures led to an outmigration of health care business and worsened pre-existing challenges around access to specialty attention. Some communities were able to adapt to replenish in gaps in access to elemental care. Elderly and low-income individuals were more likely than others on face transport challenges following the closures, and were thus more likely into delay or forgo needed care.
New care models may be super able to address the health care needs of rural communities. Some rural hospitals can be able to adapt and new models maybe be created to address changing demographics and supply systems. Such enable may require federal support real assistance as well as regional preparation effortless. AMPERE state’s resolution about the Medicaid expansion has an important strike on hospital revenues and access the care, instead the sustainability of rural hospitals depends on a broader set of factors.
