Study finds acute-care hospital closures are national, not just rural

A study published by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that acute-care hospitals across the U.S. closed more often than they opened between 2010 and 2025. The research indicates that hospital closures are a national issue, rather than a problem confined to rural providers. The study also noted that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act established a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, but did not allocate comparable funding for urban safety net hospitals.

The findings challenge the assumption that rural providers face disproportionate financial pressure from hospital closures. Furthermore, the study highlights that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes estimated $911 billion in Medicaid cuts through 2034, which affects provider taxes and state directed payments.