Dozens of Kansas Rural Hospitals at Risk of Closing, Threatening Local Care

January 12, 2026

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Rural hospitals across Kansas are facing an unprecedented financial crisis that could transform healthcare access in small towns throughout the state, according to the latest Rural Hospitals at Risk of Closing report and statewide analyses.

The national report by the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform (CHQPR) finds that more than 700 rural hospitals nationwide are at risk of closing due to serious financial problems. Hospitals most in danger have more debts than assets and lack the financial reserves necessary to operate long‑term without significant changes or support.

Kansas stands out as one of the hardest‑hit states. Recent analysis shows 68 rural hospitals in Kansas are at risk of closing, with 30 considered at immediate risk because they have consistently lost money and lack sufficient revenue to stay open. That places Kansas at the top nationally for the number of rural facilities facing potential shutdowns.

Experts say several factors contribute to these troubling trends:

Financial losses on patient services, particularly when insurance reimbursements — from both private plans and government programs — do not cover the actual costs of care.
Rising operational costs and workforce shortages that hit rural providers especially hard.
Reduction in pandemic‑era federal financial support, which had helped many stay solvent in recent years.

For rural Kansans, hospital closures would mean more than just lost medical facilities. In many communities, the local hospital is the first, and sometimes only, place residents can access emergency care, primary care, laboratory testing, imaging and other essential health services. Without these services nearby, patients could face journeys of an hour or more for treatment.

Healthcare advocates warn that losing rural hospitals would also strain local economies and further widen health disparities between urban and rural populations. Officials and healthcare leaders are calling for policy changes, including adjustments to how hospitals are reimbursed and potential expansion of programs that stabilize rural health care.