Advocates warn of potential hospital closures across the United States
倡議人士警告，美國各地醫院恐面臨關閉危機。
更新於: 2026年6月17日 上午11:30
A deepening crisis is threatening the stability of the American healthcare system, with advocates warning that hundreds of hospitals face potential closure.
一場日趨嚴重的危機正威脅著美國醫療體系的穩定，倡導者警告稱，數百家醫院面臨潛在的倒閉危機。
This trend is driven by severe financial pressures, including rising costs for labor and supplies, alongside reimbursement disparities from Medicare and Medicaid.
此趨勢是由嚴峻的財務壓力所驅動，包括勞動力與醫療物資成本上升，以及來自聯邦醫療保險（Medicare）與醫療補助（Medicaid）的給付差異。
Rural facilities are particularly vulnerable, with roughly one-third of all rural hospitals—approximately 720 locations—at risk.
偏鄉醫療設施尤其脆弱，全美約三分之一的偏鄉醫院——約七百二十處地點——正處於危險之中。
Additionally, over 400 urban hospitals face instability due to recent federal policy changes and the overwhelming administrative burden of processing insurance claims.
此外，超過四百家城市醫院也因近期的聯邦政策變更，以及處理保險理賠所帶來的沉重行政負擔而面臨不穩定。
When a hospital shuts down, communities lose their primary source of emergency and maternity care, forcing residents to travel significant distances for life-saving services.
當醫院關閉時，社區將失去主要的緊急醫療與孕產照護資源，迫使居民必須長途跋涉才能獲得救命服務。
Beyond the health risks, these facilities are often the economic backbone of their regions, meaning closures frequently trigger job losses and community decline.
除了健康風險之外，這些設施往往是地區的經濟支柱，這意味著倒閉經常會引發裁員與社區衰退。
As hospitals struggle with the dual challenge of caring for sicker patients while facing shrinking margins, the divide between well-funded health systems and struggling safety-net providers continues to widen.
由於醫院在照護病況更嚴重的病患同時，還得面對日益萎縮的獲利空間這雙重挑戰，資金充足的醫療體系與苦苦掙扎的社會安全網提供者之間的鴻溝正持續擴大。
Urgent policy intervention is being sought to protect these essential institutions before the health of vulnerable populations is permanently compromised.
各界正尋求緊急政策介入，以保護這些不可或缺的機構，避免弱勢群體的健康受到永久性的損害。
