Report outlines challenges to rural health care - Entrepreneur Generations

A new report by lobbying group the American Hospital Association provides a comprehensive look at the challenges to rural health care. They divide the 19 challenges into three groups: emergent, recent, and persistent.

The persistent category includes:

• Low patient volume. Because of low population density, rural hospitals don't have enough patients to cover high fixed expenses.
• Challenging payer mix. Rural residents are more likely to rely on Medicare and Medicaid, but both these programs reimburse hospitals at lower rates than private insurers. That makes rural hospitals more vulnerable to policy changes that could hamper payment for services.
• Challenging patient mix. Rural residents are more likely to be sicker, older and poorer than national averages, meaning rural hospitals tend to have more to do.
• Geographic isolation. Rural residents often have to travel farther to reach health care facilities, and many don't have reliable transportation. 
• Workforce shortages. It's difficult to recruit and retain health care professionals to work in rural hospitals. 
• Limited access to essential services. Fewer health care services are available in rural areas for all the reasons listed above and more.
• Aging infrastructure and access to capital. Many rural hospitals need updating but don't have the funds to do it.

Read here for more.

from The Rural Blog http://bit.ly/2HXSBjW Report outlines challenges to rural health care - Entrepreneur Generations

Posted by Entrepreneur Generations

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