AHA report: Access to care increasingly at risk in rural communities

Workforce shortages, financial pressures and policy changes increasingly threaten rural hospitals’ ability to maintain essential services, an American Hospital Association report found. More than 46 million Americans rely on rural hospitals that are confronting longstanding challenges, including low patient volumes, geographic isolation and inadequate reimbursement, while also facing significant Medicaid cuts, the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits and growing pressures associated with Medicare Advantage. More than 40% of rural hospitals operate at a financial loss, and since 2010, more than 150 rural hospitals have closed or converted, reducing access to care, the report says. The AHA calls for policies to protect rural hospitals, including reversing harmful Medicaid cuts, directing Rural Health Transformation program funds to rural hospitals and investing in the rural workforce. (AHA News article, 10/13/26)