Financial challenges facing rural clinics
July 23, 2023
KFF Health News published a heartwarming story about doctors banding together to provide their community with primary care, supported in part by community donations. Unfortunately, the background is a bleaker picture: a number of rural hospitals have closed, and others have cut services. This trend highlights challenges that rural areas might have in affording adequate health care.
Hospitals and clinics in rural areas likely have challenges with a sparser population, and perhaps also a lower-income population (on average), meaning that they might not be able to simply raise prices. Viewing health care as a utility service to be provided, it makes sense that the federal government (and perhaps state governments as well) are subsidizing these healthcare institutions -- perhaps similar to how the government might have previously subsidized utility companies to encourage them to offer services in rural areas.