Chadron Hospital in Nebraska closed the only dialysis unit for miles at the end of March, displacing 17 patients who relied on treatments three times a week. Hospital leaders said the nonprofit facility was losing $1m annually because reimbursement failed to cover operating costs, and critical access hospital payment rules do not apply to outpatient dialysis. Nebraska receives $219m in first-year funding from the Trump administration’s Rural Health Transformation Program, though only up to 15% can be used for direct patient care.
