In this episode:  

As we recognize Rural Hospital Week 2023, Chip and Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, discuss the importance of having medical care 30 miles or 30 minutes away and the battle to maintain patients’ access to vital services in small communities across the country. They also examine the ways lawmakers can throw a lifeline to hospitals struggling to keep their doors open. Topics include: 

GUEST:  
Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association

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With more than 30 years experience in health policy at the state and federal level, Alan Morgan is one of the nation’s leading experts on rural health policy.

Alan has been CEO of the National Rural Health Association since 2001 and he sat down with Chip to talk about the current state of health care access in small communities across the country, with a focus on hospitals.

According to the Sheps Center for Health Care Research at the University of North Carolina, there have been 149 rural hospital closures since 2010 – and COVID only made the situation worse. These facilities are grappling with lower reimbursement rates from programs like Medicare Advantage and chronic underpayment from Medicare and Medicaid.

Alan also highlights actions Congress can take to maintain critical hospital care in rural areas across the nation.