Half of Rural Hospitals Lose Money

[somarco]

As more and more rural hospitals find their operations dropping into the red, the rising enrollment of rural residents in Medicare Advantage plans could pull these providers under, healthcare advisory services firm Chartis warned in a new report.

The group's analysis found that half of the nation's rural hospitals are losing money from their operations, up from 43% last year. The 50% total is the highest percentage of the past decade as well as the largest single-year jump, Chartis claims.

Half of rural hospitals are losing money. Rising MA enrollment likely won't help them, Chartis warns

As more and more rural hospitals find their operations dropping into the red, the rising enrollment of rural residents in Medicare Advantage plans could pull these providers under, healthcare advis | A new analysis found the largest-ever single-year jump in rural hospitals operating in the red...

www.fiercehealthcare.com

Taliaferro county (30664), the smallest in Georgia, shows 70% MA penetration by MA plans. Ouch!

More than HALF the hospitals in Georgia are losing money and 18 are in danger of closing.

Georgia has lost 9 hospitals since 2010, making us third in the nation.

60% of hospitals lose money on Medicaid patients.

 

[marindependent]

60% of hospitals lose money on Medicaid patients

Im surprised its not closer to 100%

 

[somarco]

Im surprised its not closer to 100%

This is from 2021 . . . probably more recent data but this is the first that popped up that wasn't an AI summary . . .

 

[somarco]

More datapoints re rural hospitals . . .

2. The Causes of Rural Hospital Problems – Saving Rural Hospitals

ruralhospitals.chqpr.org

 

[Duaine]

Rural Hospitals Question Whether They Can Afford Medicare Advantage Contracts

Rural hospital leaders are questioning whether they can continue to afford to do business with Medicare Advantage companies, and some say the only way to maintain services and protect patients is to end their contracts with the private insurers.
Medicare Advantage plans pay hospitals lower rates than traditional Medicare, said Jason Merkley, CEO of Brookings Health System in South Dakota. Merkley worried the losses would spark staff layoffs and cuts to patient services. So last year, Brookings Health dropped all four contracts it had with major Medicare Advantage companies.

[EXTERNAL LINK] - Rural Hospitals Question Whether They Can Afford Medicare Advantage Contracts - KFF Health News

 

[Surancedawg]

Ran into a situation this OEP where a guy in Iowa had broken his hand. The nearest public hospital had closed. When he went to an urgent care center to have the hand X-rayed, he was told he would need to go to a hospital's radiology department for a more detailed examination. Only hospital anywhere near him was a MercyOne hospital, which is owned by the big Trinity Health group. Since he had already gone to an urgent care center initially, who prescribed him some painkillers and wrapped his hand, this was considered non-emergency outpatient treatment. When he tried to get an opening at MercyOne, they turned him away. He had a PPO MAPD that MercyOne absolutely will not bill. So here he was holding onto his cellphone with his one good hand, trying to find somebody who would have a look at his badly swollen hand. He wound up switching to an AARP PPO, because MercyOne was accepting UHC plans.

 

[somarco]

opening at MercyOne, they turned him away. He had a PPO MAPD that MercyOne absolutely will not bill.

Never heard that before . . . at least not from the folks that routinely sell MA plans. When I make posts with stories of rejection by OON providers the wolves howl that I am fear mongering and lying.