Report: Missouri May See 4 Sudden Hospital Closures

The landscape of healthcare is changing rapidly due to new government policies. A new report analyzing what that will mean to medical care facilities shows that 4 hospitals in Missouri are at risk of sudden closure based on their current trajectory.

The newest spending bill passed by lawmakers includes cuts to Medicaid which some experts believe will put hospitals in jeopardy, especially those in rural areas. A new report by The Daily Mail says that hospitals that meet the following criteria will be most at risk:

• Top 10 percent of payers use Medicaid
• Three consecutive years of total margins being negative

By that measure, they found that Missouri has 4 rural hospitals at extreme risk of closure caused by these new changes.

Who did this research into at-risk hospitals in Missouri?

The report says the study came from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research from the University of North Carolina. This isn't the first report that shows many rural Missouri hospitals in the danger zone. This new report only showing 4 in jeopardy is lower than some estimates as recent as one year ago.

Most of my family was born and raised in rural Missouri. If these parts of the states did not have a local medical care option, it will literally be a matter of life and death for many who don't have the resources to access hospitals in metro areas. I'm certainly no medical or government expert, but surely something can be done to prevent smaller Missouri hospitals from closing. Let's hope someone comes up with a successful idea sooner rather than later.