Rural Health at Risk

July 16, 2025

The stakes to preserve rural health care have never been higher, according to a new report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform.

More than a third of rural hospitals (700) are at risk of closing because of the serious financial problems they are experiencing, according to the center’s new report published last month.

“Over the past decade, more than 100 rural hospitals have closed,” the report noted. “As a result, the millions of Americans who live in those communities no longer have access to an emergency room, in patient care, and many other hospital services that citizens in most of the rest of the country take for granted.”

Here’s what you need to know:

• By the numbers: In Pennsylvania, a reported 34 percent of rural hospitals are at risk of closing and 18 percent are at immediate risk, per the report.
  • Across the U.S., 34 percent of rural hospitals are at risk of closing and 14 percent are at immediate risk.
• Context that matters:  The analysis comes alongside a federal reconciliation bill that destabilizes hospitals and the communities that rely on them.
• Key contributors:  Rural hospitals increasingly lose money on the care and services they provide; have insufficient revenue from other sources to offset those losses; and lower financial reserves and support to draw from.
• The bottom line:  When rural hospitals close, communities lose access to care and must travel longer distances for routine, emergency, and inpatient services. These facilities are often the economic lifeblood of the communities they serve.
  • The facilities also support our food supply and energy production, “because farms, ranches, mines, drilling sites, wind farms, and solar energy facilities are located primarily in rural areas.”
• Staggering stat:  “Rural hospitals are at risk of closing in almost every state. In the majority of states, over 25 percent of rural hospitals are at risk of closing, and in 11 states, 50 percent or more are at risk,” the repot notes.

HAP continues to advocate for resources and support to protect access in rural Pennsylvania and communities across the commonwealth. Read the report online.