A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has found that 44% of rural Medicare patients must drive an hour or more for surgery, with median travel times increasing from 47 minutes to 55 minutes between 2010 and 2020. The research used data from Medicare beneficiary records to analyze nearly 12.3 million surgery admissions, including 2.6 million in rural areas.
The study’s findings indicate that rural patients are facing significant challenges in accessing timely and quality surgical care due to hospital closures and workforce shortages. Low-risk procedures such as appendectomies and hernia repair have median travel times lower than higher-risk surgeries like aortic valve repair or liver resection.
Researchers suggest that the concentration of high-risk operations at urban hospitals may contribute to longer travel times for rural patients. Additionally, the study notes that many rural residents are accustomed to traveling long distances for medical care and prefer nonlocal facilities due to concerns about workforce shortages.
The research has implications for healthcare policy, highlighting the need for improved access to surgical care in rural areas. The study’s lead author emphasizes that it is “not acceptable” for patients to drive such long distances for low-risk surgery that can be safely performed at smaller hospitals.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/02/23/surgery-rural-hospital-drive-time