A growing number of rural Medicare beneficiaries are more likely to be admitted to hospitals in urban areas, even if a rural hospital is nearby, according to a recent study published in Health Services Research by Chapel Hill-based University of North Carolina researchers.
The researchers examined hospital admission and Medicare fee-for-service data between 2010 and 2018 to determine the impact rural hospital availability had on admissions, according to a July 15 UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health news release. They found that rural areas experienced a 2 percent yearly increase in Medicare patient admissions to urban hospitals per ZIP code.
"There are a number of different factors that influence where someone goes for treatment, such as proximity, the referral from a primary care provider, and differences in cost and quality of care between hospitals," lead author Hannah Friedman said in the news release. "Proximity may be outweighed by other considerations that drive people to seek care farther afield, which could be contributing to declines in rural hospital volume that may eventually lead to closures."
Rural hospital closures also increased the likelihood of admission to an urban hospital. Admission to urban hospitals also increased even if the nearest rural hospital joined a larger healthcare system, according to the report.