Repealing Obamacare puts rural hospitals at risk

Plans are being laid in Washington to repeal the Affordable Care Act as soon as Donald Trump takes the presidential oath of office. Hidden inside the law is a little-known provision unrelated to the health insurance expansion that helps rural hospitals across America stay open.  It’s called the 340B drug discount program. The ACA made 1,100 rural hospitals eligible and it requires drug companies to supply these remote providers with discounted medications. These discounts can be passed along to patients unable to afford expensive medications or the savings can help fund essential medical services for their communities such as emergency rooms and labor and delivery.  Rural hospitals across the country face daunting economic challenges. Eighty have closed since 2010 and 673 -- fully one third of rural hospitals -- operate at a loss and are at risk of closure. These are often the only medical facilities for hundreds of miles in any direction.  Rural hospitals provide essential, lifesaving local access to health care close to home for the 62 million Americans living in rural and remote communities. Rural hospitals serve vulnerable Americans that are older, sicker and poorer then their urban counterparts. These patients are more likely to suffer with a chronic disease that requires monitoring and follow up care. That makes convenient, local access to health providers vital. It also reduces the overall cost of care and improves patient outcomes and quality of life.  The 340B program makes it possible for these hospitals to offer necessary services needed in their communities.