Episode Details

Rural hospitals utilize various forms of public support to increase healthcare availability in areas with low population density. The OBBBA pairs spending cuts to these hospitals with incentives designed to increase efficiency and minimize waste. As populations shift and federal funding decreases, state governments will have to decide how to respond. In this episode, we talk with Steve Parente, Professor in the Department of Finance at the University of Minnesota, about the structural challenges facing rural hospitals, how federal policy changes will affect their financial support, and how state governments are positioned to fill any funding shortfall.