Rural America faces a healthcare access crisis
Skip to main content
MDHC_Logotype_white
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • This Week's News
    • COVID-19
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition
    • MedPAC likely to recommend CMS simplify alternative payment models
      Medicare physician claims down 19% in first half of 2020 from pre-pandemic expectations
      Florida governor faces growing charges of vaccine favoritism
      Insurance regulator to issue warning on virus-test billing
    • Florida governor faces growing charges of vaccine favoritism
      Insurance regulator to issue warning on virus-test billing
      Sutter Health posts sizable 2020 loss, announces sweeping review of finances
      Accidentally trashed, thawed or expired: Reports of COVID vaccine spoilage
    • Shareholder group calls out HCA for alleged excessive emergency department admissions
      Metrologo 600x400_i.jpg
      MetroHealth forms Center for Cancer Research
      Dr. Marc Boom
      Q&A: Houston Methodist CEO praises staff efforts to keep vaccine efforts going during ice storm
      The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom
      The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom of Houston Methodist
    • Solid sign-ups for Biden's new Obamacare coverage offer
      OU Health Physicians, Oklahoma Blues plan fail to reach new contract
      Blue Cross NC claims costs rise thanks to COVID
      BlueCrossBlueShieldSign-main_i_i_i.jpg
      Michigan Blues post lowest operating profits in four years amid COVID-19 pandemic
    • MedPAC likely to recommend CMS simplify alternative payment models
      Florida governor faces growing charges of vaccine favoritism
      States rapidly expanding vaccine access as supplies surge
      Becerra taking heat for support of abortion rights
    • Sutter Health posts sizable 2020 loss, announces sweeping review of finances
      UPMC's patient volumes stabilize, boosting 2020 profits
      Genomics firms taking advantage of SPACs trend to go public faster
      COVID-19 could dent hospital revenue by at least $53 billion in 2021, AHA says
    • Insurance regulator to issue warning on virus-test billing
      351532635.jpg
      Red-hot virtual care market propels New York City health startups to record year
      Teladoc reports $383.3M in fourth-quarter revenue, up 145%
      man and woman looking at ipad wearing face masks stock image
      Sponsored Content Provided By Surescripts
      Improvements to benefits data can enhance ePrescribing and the patient experience
    • Accidentally trashed, thawed or expired: Reports of COVID vaccine spoilage
      Coronavirus deranges the immune system in complex and deadly ways
      Majority of small businesses not requiring vaccines, tests
      Highmark Health partners with Verily subsidiary on chronic care issues
    • Francoise_Adan1_i.jpg
      Cleveland's UH creates position of chief whole health and well-being officer
      Alicia Wilson
      Q&A: Emerging leader Alicia Wilson on staying close to home
      Michael Jordan, Novant team up to address health equity
      Former Ascension CEO, the first to lead the health system, passes away
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Insights
    • ACA 10 Years After
    • Best Practices
    • Special Reports
    • Innovations
    • The Affordable Care Act after 10 years
    • Dr. John Fischer
      Patient-reported outcomes tool for hernia surgery helps physicians improve care
      New care model helps primary-care practices treat obesity
      doctor with patient
      COVID-19 treatment protocol developed in the field helps patients recover
      Rachel Wyatt
      Project to curb pressure injuries in hospitals shows promise
    • What's next for on-demand telehealth companies?
      A CalOptima PACE vaccination clinic.
      Will COVID-19 be the catalyst for creating a more sustainable healthcare system?
      A map of the U.S. with images of the coronavirus.
      The digital divide becomes a new social determinant of health
      Ascension’s St. Mary’s Hospital Surgery Center at Towne Centre and Allegheny Health Network’s Bethel Park surgery center
      Hospitals see opportunity, risk in ambulatory surgery centers
    • Dr. Daniel Hall
      UPMC pilots machine learning, telehealth to inform patient transfers
      A woman being recorded using her inhaler on a smartphone.
      Digital check-ins, connected inhalers help control asthma
      A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
      A woman with a wearable sensor talking to her provider.
      Wearable sensors help diagnose heart rhythm problems in West Virginia
  • Transformation
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • What's next for on-demand telehealth companies?
      Rising prescription copays drop adherence, spike mortality, research shows
      Dr. John Fischer
      Patient-reported outcomes tool for hernia surgery helps physicians improve care
      Highmark Health inks six-year cloud, tech deal with Google
    • Hospitals' Medicare billing practices suggest upcoding, OIG says
      California hospitals prepare ethical protocol to prioritize lifesaving care
      Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway disband Haven
      Digital pathways poised to reshape healthcare continuum in 2021
    • Dr. Daniel Hall
      UPMC pilots machine learning, telehealth to inform patient transfers
      A woman being recorded using her inhaler on a smartphone.
      Digital check-ins, connected inhalers help control asthma
      Humana partners with in-home provider for 24/7 care
      A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
    • MedPAC likely to recommend CMS simplify alternative payment models
      Bundled payments reduce surgery costs by 10.7%
      Coordinated payment policies could speed transition to value, experts say
      CMMI's geographic direct contracting model needs an overhaul, experts say
  • Data/Lists
    • Rankings/Lists
    • Interactive Databases
    • Data Points
    • Health Systems Financials
      Executive Compensation
      Physician Compensation
  • Op-Ed
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
    • Dr. Alan Kaplan
      The risks, rewards of taking organizations 'where they haven’t gone before'
      Wellstar CEO calls adapting for the pandemic her bold move
      Howard P. Kern
      Recognizing the value of telehealth in its infancy
      Dr. Stephen Markovich
      A bold move helped take him from family doctor to OhioHealth CEO
    • Dr. Stephen Markovich
      Making sure we're aligned along the path to achieving inclusion
      Barry Ostrowsky
      Ending racism is a journey taken together; the starting point must be now
      Laura Lee Hall and Gary Puckrein
      Increased flu vaccination has never been more important for communities of color
      John Daniels Jr.
      Health equity: Making the journey from buzzword to reality
    • Vaccinating children could be the key to ending the pandemic
      Mikelle Moore
      The promising future of rural healthcare, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic
      In-person visitation must be part of the national COVID-19 response
      We've lost so much to the pandemic, but we've also made gains that will endure
    • Letters: Eliminating bias in healthcare needs to be ‘deliberate and organic’
      Letters: Maybe dropping out of ACOs is a good thing for patients
      Letters: White House and Congress share blame for lack of national COVID strategy
      Letters: VA making strides to improve state veterans home inspections
    • Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      How blockchain could ease frustration with the payment process
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Three steps to better data-sharing for payer and provider CIOs
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Reduce total cost of care: 6 reasons why providers and payers should tackle the challenge together
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Why CIOs went from back-office operators to mission-critical innovators
  • Awards
    • Award Programs
    • Nominate
    • Previous Award Programs
    • Other Award Programs
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare Logo for Navigation
      Nominations Open - Best Places to Work in Healthcare
      Nominations Open - 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Minorities in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Minority Leaders
      • - Minorities to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Excellence in Nursing Awards
    • Design Awards
    • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
    • 100 Top Hospitals
    • ACHE Awards
  • Events
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Webinars
    • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • podium march webinar logo lockup
      Sponsored Content Provided By Podium
      Webinar: Critical Touchpoints for Every Patient’s Journey — How Technology Plays an Important Role
      scp health logo lockup march 2021
      Sponsored Content Provided By SCP Health
      Webinar: COVID’s call to action — Reset for success in 2021
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Healthcare Transformation Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Virtual Briefings
      • - Hospital of the Future
      • - Mental Health
      • - Patient Safety & Quality
      • - Strategic Marketing
      • - Virtual Health
      • - Workplace of the Future
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
  • Listen
    • Podcast - Next Up
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Next Up Podcast: Educating patients on the COVID-19 vaccine with Tanya Andreadis
      Dr. Joseph Cacchione
      Next Up Podcast: Educating patients on the COVID-19 vaccine with Dr. Joseph Cacchione
      Dr. Karen DeSalvo
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next four years
      Carter Dredge
      Next Up Podcast: Ready, set, innovate! Innovation and disruption in healthcare
    • Beyond the Byline: Insurers are betting on virtual-first plans as COVID-19 shifts care pathways
      Beyond the Byline: How residents' stories shape our coverage of the vaccination rollout in nursing homes
      Beyond the Byline: Regulators aim to boost value push with fraud and abuse law updates
      An older man wearing a mask receiving a vaccine.
      Beyond the Byline: Verifying information on the chaotic COVID-19 vaccine rollout
    • Outreach during COVID-19
      Leading intention promote diversity and inclusion
      Introducing Healthcare Insider Podcast
    • The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom
      The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom of Houston Methodist
      The Check Up: Dr. Imran Andrabi
      The Check Up: Dr. Imran Andrabi of ThedaCare
      The Check Up: Tanya Blackmon
      The Check Up: Tanya Blackmon of Novant Health
      The Check Up: Dr. Patrick Hwu
      The Check Up: Dr. Patrick Hwu of the Moffitt Cancer Center
    • ivana naeymi-rad one on one intelligent medical objects
      Video: Ivana Naeymi Rad of Intelligent Medical Objects
  • MORE +
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Opinion & Editorial
September 21, 2019 01:00 AM

Rural America faces a healthcare access crisis

Dr. Allison Suttle
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Dr. Allison Suttle

    Dr. Allison Suttle is chief medical officer at Sanford Health, based in Sioux Falls, S.D.

    In the last 10 years, more than 100 rural hospitals in the U.S. have closed and another 600-plus rural facilities remain at risk of closing.

    Of course not all existing hospitals should stay open. They might be too big or too obsolete for today’s needs and technology. In some cases there are good reasons to close. For others there are opportunities for modernization.

    But overall, rural populations are suffering substantial institutional losses.

    On closer scrutiny, what seems a sudden acceleration in rural hospital and clinic closures over the past few years is actually concentrated in a select group of 14 states. They are all holdouts that have declined to fund the expansion of Medicaid that was made possible by the Affordable Care Act, which took effect in January 2014.

    As a result, rural hospitals in the states that have refused to participate—hospitals already operating their public healthcare systems with the slimmest of margins and resources—are now collapsing and closing at an quickening rate.

    A study in Health Affairs last year confirmed that closures of rural hospitals increased significantly in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid, but noted that the closure rate in states that expanded the program decreased almost immediately after adoption.

    The income cutoff in the 14 states that have not expanded Medicaid is set at a barely surviving level—the median eligibility limit is $8,532 for a family of three in 2019.

    Worse, a gap is created in these states alone for some 2 million uninsured residents—hard-working people with low-wage jobs whose incomes are above Medicaid eligibility limits but who fall below the lower limit to receive premium tax credits to help them buy insurance through the ACA marketplace.

    The best outcomes for patients ultimately depend upon whether or not they are insured. The challenges we face in delivering care to a rural population, insured or not, are steep. I’m a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and have spent most of my career serving this population.

    I have seen women show up for their first prenatal visit when they are already well into their second trimester. This can prove dangerous for the mother and baby. Early prenatal care is critical in identifying, treating and managing health conditions, thereby reducing the risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery and improving maternal and birth outcomes.

    The nonpartisan Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission has confirmed what should be obvious: Women without health insurance are far less likely to receive adequate prenatal care than women with coverage.

    I also know from my own clinical experience that rural Americans are more likely than those in other parts of the country to have multiple chronic health conditions; they are at greater risk for obesity and have higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse disorders. And they’re less likely to be insured.

    In the upper Midwest, where Sanford Health is based, farmers have to plant their crops as early as possible in the spring because they know it’s a short season before the arrival of snow and bitter cold. Many of the physicians I work with grew up on farms and in small towns that lie within the borders of the states declining the Medicaid expansion. Planning ahead is in our bones, and that sense of urgency and focus should be a priority everywhere.

    Medicaid is jointly funded by the states and federal government. States with an established commitment to providing care for the poor stepped up immediately and signed on to the 2014 expansion, which initially was covered 100% by the federal government.

    The feds now pay 93% of the total costs of the Medicaid expansion for enrollees in the new eligibility category. The states that continue to decline that option would be only required to moderately increase their spending to qualify for the expanded federal share.

    Now, not later, is the time for these holdout states to replant and replenish their healthcare resources so desperately needed in rural America.

    Related Article
    In Depth: Rethinking rural healthcare
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    MedPAC likely to recommend CMS simplify alternative payment models
    MedPAC likely to recommend CMS simplify alternative payment models
    Medicare physician claims down 19% in first half of 2020 from pre-pandemic expectations
    Medicare physician claims down 19% in first half of 2020 from pre-pandemic expectations
    Sponsored Content
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up for free enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today

    The weekly magazine, websites, research and databases provide a powerful and all-encompassing industry presence. We help you make informed business decisions and lead your organizations to success.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Instagram

    Stay Connected

    Join the conversation with Modern Healthcare through our social media pages

    MDHC_Logotype_white
    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • This Week's News
      • COVID-19
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition
    • Insights
      • ACA 10 Years After
      • Best Practices
      • Special Reports
      • Innovations
    • Transformation
      • Patients
      • Operations
      • Care Delivery
      • Payment
    • Data/Lists
      • Rankings/Lists
      • Interactive Databases
      • Data Points
    • Op-Ed
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Awards
      • Award Programs
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Minorities in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Minority Leaders
          • - Minorities to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Nominate
      • Previous Award Programs
        • Excellence in Nursing Awards
        • Design Awards
        • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
      • Other Award Programs
        • 100 Top Hospitals
        • ACHE Awards
    • Events
      • Conferences
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Healthcare Transformation Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Virtual Briefings
          • - Hospital of the Future
          • - Mental Health
          • - Patient Safety & Quality
          • - Strategic Marketing
          • - Virtual Health
          • - Workplace of the Future
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Webinars
      • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • Listen
      • Podcast - Next Up
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • MORE +
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing