Unpacking the Real Cost of Rural Hospital Closures

Mark, our CEO and lead policy advocate, recently appeared on Meredith Hirsh’s excellent podcast, Working Health. In this engaging discussion, he outlines the many contributors to rural hospital closures, and what can be done to turn the tide.

A few of the topics Meredith and Mark cover:

• Predatory payer practices: How exploitative Medicare Advantage plans and reimbursement delays are squeezing community hospitals
• Contract games: The fine print in insurer agreements that systematically disadvantages rural providers
• Policy insights: Lessons from Mark’s collaboration with Senator Chuck Grassley and findings from our Preyed On report
• The human toll: Why nearly 100 million Americans carry crippling medical debt, and what it means for our heartland

The ins and outs of healthcare are nuanced and intentionally complicated, but Mark and Meredith discuss all of the above and more in a clear, accessible way. 

Give it a listen below: