Rural Hospitals Question Whether They Can Afford Medicare Advantage Contracts

Rural Hospitals Question Whether They Can Afford Medicare Advantage Contracts

Rural hospital leaders are questioning whether they can continue to afford to do business with Medicare Advantage companies, and some say the only way to maintain services and protect patients is to end their contracts with the private insurers. Medicare Advantage plans pay hospitals lower rates than traditional Medicare, said Jason Merkley, CEO of Brookings Health System in South Dakota. Merkley worried the losses would spark staff layoffs and …