MedPage Today March 18, 2024
— To become a rural emergency hospital, qualifying facilities must close all their inpatient beds
As rural hospitals continue to struggle financially, a new type of hospital is slowly taking root, especially in the Southeast.
Rural emergency hospitals receive more than $3 million in federal funding a year and higher Medicare reimbursements in exchange for closing all inpatient beds and providing 24/7 emergency care. While that makes it easier for a hospital to keep its doors open, experts say it doesn’t solve all of the challenges facing rural healthcare.
People might have to travel further for treatments for illnesses that require inpatient stays, like pneumonia or COVID-19. In some of the communities where hospitals have converted to the new designation,...
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