NATIONAL DATA · 2024 CMS file
The numbers behind rural healthcare
A nationwide view of Critical Access Hospitals using the data currently included in CAHStory. Each statistic shows its reporting coverage; missing values are not treated as zero.
Patient service margins
2024 CMS file CMS-derived peer dataset · 1,343 hospitals reporting
-5.1%
Median reported patient service margin
873 of 1,343 (65.0%) had a negative reported patient service margin.
These figures are descriptive. Different fiscal year-end dates, reporting conventions and missing values affect comparability.
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Coverage is based on numeric, nonmissing observations in the bundled 2024 CMS file peer dataset, out of 1,382 hospital profiles. Coverage is different for each measure.
| Measure | Reporting coverage | Share of profiles |
|---|---|---|
| Patient service margin | 1,343 of 1,382 hospitals | 97.2% |
| Net patient revenue | 1,344 of 1,382 hospitals | 97.3% |
| Reported occupancy | 1,360 of 1,382 hospitals | 98.4% |
| Inpatient days | 1,360 of 1,382 hospitals | 98.4% |
| Current ratio | 1,279 of 1,382 hospitals | 92.5% |
| Medicare inpatient-day share | 1,352 of 1,382 hospitals | 97.8% |
How to read these numbers
Hospital profiles, financial reports, and county matches are separate datasets. A hospital may have an identity record but no usable value for a particular financial measure. Peer values are based on 2024 CMS file reporting and do not represent real-time hospital performance.
CAHStory does not fill missing financial figures with estimates. The national overview uses a common 2024 CMS file dataset, but fiscal reporting periods can vary across hospitals. A state or bed-size comparison should disclose its own reporting denominator.