Economy Hurting Rural Hospitals

Economy Hurting Rural Hospitals: ATLANTA —
Nearly half of the state’s rural hospitals are operating in the red, according to the latest hospital financial survey by the state Department of Community Health. A quarter of urban hospitals reported a similar situation. (Photo Courtesy of David Liban via Flickr.)
Hospitals in Georgia are suffering under the weight of the sluggish economy, and the financial strain is especially heavy for smaller, rural medical centers.

Nearly half of the state’s rural hospitals are operating in the red, according to the latest hospital financial survey by the state Department of Community Health. Accounting just for the costs of patient care and no other revenue streams, it’s even worse: 73 percent have negative operating margins.

Hospitals point to more people without jobs and without employer-sponsored health insurance.