In 2022, the Bipartisan Policy Center reported that 20% of the nation’s rural hospitals—441 out of 2,176—are currently facing three or more financial risk factors that put them at risk of service reduction or closure. Several pieces of legislation are currently underway to shield rural hospitals from these financial pressures, including the American Hospital Association-supported Rural Hospital Support Act, which would address economies of scale for rural hospitals via the prospective payment system.
