01 Feb More Than 100 Rural Hospitals Close Over Seven Years: GAO
More than 100 rural hospitals closed from January 2013-February 2020, leading to people living in areas having to travel further to get the same health care services – about 20 miles further for common services like inpatient care and about 40 miles for less common services like alcohol or drug abuse treatment. A recent GAO report looked at the effects of hospital closures on residents in rural areas and examined how closures affected the number of health care providers, and the distance residents traveled for health care services. The researchers found that before rural hospitals closed, counties where these hospitals were located had fewer doctors than counties without any closures and the number only further decreased when hospitals closed. To read the report, click here.