Report: 9 Illinois Hospitals Could Close Suddenly

If these new predictions are accurate, this could be very bad news for up to 9 Illinois rural communities. A report says that more than 300 hospitals could face sudden closure and that includes 9 in Illinois based on data that's just been revealed.

I saw this shared today by The Daily Mail. The data seems to originate from the Sheps Center for Health Services Research. What they have found is that with approved government cuts, many rural hospitals are at risk of closing their doors.

What classifies a hospital in Illinois of being at risk of closure?

They say that rural hospitals that have these 2 characteristics are in danger:

• Top 10 percent Medicaid payer mix
• 3 consecutive years of negative total margin

By that criteria, they show 9 rural Illinois hospitals are in a bad position.

One other fact to consider is that many of these rural Illinois hospitals were already struggling prior to the new government budget. That would make them especially vulnerable to a sudden decrease in Medicare payouts for patients. This big change could be enough to put them over the edge and leave many rural parts of Illinois without a local medical care option. Let's hope this speculation does not become a sudden reality for many in Illinois.