There’s a growing push to strip nonprofit hospitals of their tax-exempt status. Advocates claim it will make healthcare more affordable by holding hospitals accountable for high out-of-pocket costs. In reality, it’s a misguided, short-sighted proposal that would harm communities, particularly in rural America, without solving the underlying cost problems in the healthcare system.

Much of this scrutiny is fueled by healthcare special interests who would prefer to shift the blame for rising costs away from themselves. It’s a clever political move, but a dangerous one.

Rural hospitals nationwide have been closing at alarming rates — 153 since 2010, with hundreds more at risk. Taking away their tax exemptions could push many of these facilities over the brink and force them to close, leaving

See Full Page