In Remote Idaho, A Tiny Facility Lights The Way For Stressed Rural Hospitals
In a region where bears outnumber people, a small medical facility sets a modern example for rural hospitals on life support.
Once Nearly Buried By Medical Bills, Farmer Braces For Insurance Drought
Barton County, Mo., is Trump country. And this rural area has big problems when it comes to health care. One farmer says he has a lot to lose under the Republican replacement plan.
ACA Repeal Threatens A Black Lung Provision Popular In Coal Country
The Affordable Care Act simplified and speeded up the complex process that allows coal miners who have black lung to get special benefits. Many in coal country want this reform to stay if the rest of the law is repealed.
As Obamacare Repeal Heats Up, Newly Insured North Carolinians Fret
More than half a million people in North Carolina buy health insurance on healthcare.gov. Many are confused what will happen to their coverage as Republicans work to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but they still are signing up for 2017 plans.
Even In Trump Country, Rural Hospitals Brace For Damage From Health Law’s Repeal
The Affordable Care Act, which President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal, threw a number of life-savers to rural hospitals, which are vital but financially troubled centers. And its full repeal, without a comparable and viable replacement, could signal their death knell.
Obamacare Boosted Community Health Centers’ Reach. Now What?
Two studies quantify gains made as a result of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion and fuel concerns about how GOP plans to repeal and replace it might undermine these advances.
Tighter Prescribing Rules: An Anti-Abuse Strategy That Could Hurt Patients In Pain
Responding to a national epidemic, many state Medicaid programs are making the coverage rules for these opioid-based medicines tougher so that physicians will think twice before prescribing them. But some worry that legitimate pain patients could suffer.
New Law Will Expand Mental Health Services For Low-Income Californians
Legislation recently signed by Gov. Brown will allow about 1,000 clinics statewide to bill Medi-Cal for treatment by marriage and family counselors, deepening the pool of mental health providers.
Video Chat? In Rural Areas Combating Drug Addiction, A New Way To Connect With Help
The federal government is supporting efforts to test whether telemedicine strategies can be used to treat Appalachia’s painkiller addiction crisis.
Obamacare Expansion A Bumpy Ride For Rural Health Clinics
A Northern California clinic network is overwhelmed with Medi-Cal patients after the Affordable Care Act rollout.
Back From The Brink, A Rural Texas Hospital Shines
One family’s tragedy inspired a radical change at a struggling rural hospital in Texas.
Hospital Closures Rattle Small Towns
More than 50 shuttered rural hospitals mean a loss of jobs and other commerce for municipalities and uncertain care for residents.
Medicine’s Power Couples: A Challenge In Recruiting Physicians To Rural Areas
A research letter published in JAMA suggests that physicians increasingly marry people who match them in terms of educational levels and career pursuits, making it more difficult to attract them to small-town practices.
As Rural Hospitals Struggle, Some Opt To Close Labor And Delivery Units
Facilities for delivering babies are costly to run and hard to staff, so some small, rural hospitals are closing them, forcing pregnant women to travel for care.
A Lifesaving Flight, With A Price Tag Of $56,000
Big, sparsely populated states such as Montana are dependent on air ambulances to get people to specialized medical care. But those lifesaving flights can be hugely expensive and not covered by insurance.
Small Coastal California Town Fights To Keep Hospital Afloat
Tourists love the Mendocino coast for its redwoods, surf and charm. But the battle to keep one town’s only hospital afloat is pitting hospital administrators and doctors against each other.
Texas Strives To Lure Mental Health Providers To Rural Counties
Over a hundred counties in Texas don’t have a mental health worker, affecting about 3 million Texans. A new loan repayment program may not be enough to recruit them to rural areas.
Rural Hospitals Team Up To Survive
Dozens of rural hospitals have closed in recent years, prompting others to form alliances.
