Has anyone ever heard of Americore Health, LLC??

[kentuck]

They are a for profit hospital management group, out of Florida, that is taking over rural hospitals across the country. They recently made a deal to take over the non-profit hospital in Pineville, Kentucky - which had been operating for the people for almost a century.

The news in the last couple of days was that there was a massive lay-off. Employees that had worked there for many years were let go. This was the biggest employee in the town. It will be a devastating hit when they are closed. Their plan is to close the hospital and move it to Lee County, VA.

This hospital has stayed afloat because of its Medicare and Medicaid patients.

This is how they are making Medicaid cuts.

http://americorehealth.com/2017/03/30/americore-health-and-pineville-community-hospital-sign-asset-purchase-agreement-and-long-term-lease/

[Hoyt]

1. Don't care much for for-profit hospital companies, but many rural areas have

been looking for someone to take over the facilities that are costing counties a lot of money.

If those facilities were near profitability and up-to-date, they wouldn't be in trouble. At worst, some of the big hospital systems in larger cities would likely be interested in affiliating with them. But a rural facility that is not close to profitability is a different matter.

These rural hospitals are really fighting a tough battle. Today, so much of health care is delivered outside the inpatient environment that kept them afloat in years past.

Sometimes it's easy to blame the for-profit companies, but it's really the government at all levels (and those who vote for those in office) that are not willing to pay enough to keep these facilities open.

Typically, when a for-profit company takes over, it turns out to be a vain effort to keep the facility open unless the local government is willing to help fund deficits.

[kentuck]

2. This is a devastating hit for this rural town.

And it is happening across the country. Medicaid is all that many of these poor folks have to turn to. It will be gone.

[Hoyt]

3. Believe me, I get it. But if governments aren't going to fund rural hospitals' deficits, what's

the answer? Some hospitals have survived off donations, but how many people in rural areas are going to, or can, pony up to help them?