Rural US hospitals fear closures as costs rise

Rural hospitals in the United States are warning that rising costs and federal health-care funding cuts could leave more communities without nearby medical care.

In Fredonia, Kansas, residents must travel about 90 miles for cardiology care in the event of a heart attack or stroke. Fredonia Regional Hospital, a 25-bed facility, provides basic care and coordinates ambulance or helicopter evacuations.

Its chief executive, Johnathan Durrett, said the hospital has to “fight to remain open” and could not rule out eventually being at risk of closure. He cited rising costs for supplies and food, an aging and shrinking population, and reimbursement rates that he said do not cover the cost of care.

Seven hospitals in Kansas have closed since 2015, including one near Fredonia. An independent institute estimates that 21 more rural hospitals in the state are at “immediate risk” of closure.

Tom Mueller, director of the Kansas Center for Rural Health at the University of Kansas, warned that Republican-led cuts to Medicaid and subsidies for private health insurance would worsen the pressure. Health policy research group KFF estimated that a funding measure signed by President Donald Trump would reduce Medicaid spending by $911 billion over 10 years.

The issue comes before the November 3 midterm elections, with health-care access and costs cited as concerns for many voters, especially in rural areas.