Rural hospitals closing due to bankruptcies caused in great part by Obamacare

By Rob Janicki

We knew it was coming.  Now it's here.  Rural hospitals are now feeling the economic consequences of Obamacare's low reimbursement rates.  The consequences are called bankruptcy and they are happening to the small rural hospitals providing services to clients dependent upon their close proximate availability.  This very well may have the consequence of pushing seniors into retirement centers that they may not be able to afford without a significant change in their life styles and adversity in their economic circumstances as they go broke just trying to stay alive from day to day.

MOUNT VERNON, Tex. — Despite residents’ concerns and a continuing need for services, the 25-bed hospital that served this small East Texas town for more than 25 years closed its doors at the end of 2014, joining the ranks of dozens of other small rural hospitals that have been unable to weather the punishment of a changing national health-care environment.

For the high percentages of elderly and uninsured patients who live in rural areas, closures mean longer trips for treatment and uncertainty during times of crisis.

The Kansas-based National Rural Health Association, which represents about 2,000 small hospitals across the country and other rural care providers, says that 48 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, the majority in Southern states, and 283 others are in trouble. In Texas alone, 10 have closed...   Washington Post 

There are a number of contributing factors in the demise of these rural hospitals, including aging populations with large populations on Medicare, higher client levels of Medicaid recipients, expensive equipment that goes under utilized and the cost incentives necessary to hire doctors to relocate to rural locations with limited income potential.

Let's remember that Zeke Emanuel, one of the principle architects of Obamacare, stated publicly that he  thought it was necessary to cut back high cost treatments for those over 72 years of age, since they were no longer productive members of society.  Instead these seniors would simply be given lower cost pain therapy medications, rather than treating the illness.  Remember when Sarah Palin called this process the setting up of death panels and she was mercilessly mocked.  Now we find that Palin was right all along, but it may be too late to do anything about it.

This is just the latest failure of Obamacare to rear its ugly head.  We already know that Obamacare premiums are rising exponentially and the tax penalties for failing to buy an Obamacare approved health insurance policy are rising with each passing year.  We also know that government subsidies are not being applied equally across America.  What is seldom addressed is the fact that once fully implemented, Obamacare will still fail to insure 30 million Americans according to the CBO.

Let's not forget that Obamacare is supposed to be the crown jewel in Barack Obama's living legacy.