Rural Areas Lose 43% Of Independent Physicians

Between January 2019 and January 2024, the number of independent physicians practicing in rural America dropped by 43%, according to a recent analysis. This decline occurs within the context of an overall 5% decrease in the total number of physicians serving rural areas. The researchers concluded that there is a growing shift toward the consolidation of physician services under hospitals and corporate entities in rural areas following COVID-19.;

Declines of more than 50% within the independent physician workforce occurred in Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, and South Dakota, according to the . . .