Fact Sheets
Rural Advocacy Action Center
Rural Health Care
Rural hospitals provide essential health care services to some 57 million people. Because of their size, modest assets and financial reserves, and higher percentages of Medicare patients, small and rural hospitals disproportionately rely on government payments.
Please join us in reaching out to Congress on important legislation, learning more about key policy actions, and building public support for rural health care.. To join an AHA Advocacy Alliance on key issues go to www.aha.org/Alliances.
Use the links below to explore the 2020 Rural Advocacy Agenda and key aspects of rural health care advocacy.
Explore Rural Advocacy Action Center Topics
Rural Advocacy Agenda 2025
The AHA supports policies and legislation that enable rural hospitals to care for their communities. The Rural Advocacy Agenda outlines some key areas of focus for our 2024 advocacy agenda.
Current Advocacy Activity in Rural Health Care
Some 57 million rural Americans depend on their hospital as an important source of care as well as a critical component of their area's economic and social fabric.
Regulatory Relief for Rural Health Care
There is growing frustration about the amount of time and resources being devoted to pushing paper-or its electronic version-versus spending time on care. The bottom line: patients have less time with their caregivers; they have unnecessary hurdles in receiving care; and the regulatory burden increases health care costs.
Ensuring Access in Rural Communities
Vulnerable patient populations, including the poor, uninsured and those with multiple chronic conditions, have complex health needs exacerbated by social determinants such as food insecurity, unstable housing and lack of transportation.