Medicare patients receiving care at the nation’s 1,300 “critical access” hospitals pay far more out-of-pocket than those who are treated at other acute care facilities, according to a recent analysis by the Wall Street Journal.

The analysis found astonishing differences in co-pays charged to beneficiaries at regular hospitals and critical care facilities, which are located in rural areas at least 35 miles from the nearest hospital, are supposed to have no more than 25 beds for inpatient care, and are not supposed to keep patients for more than 96 hours at a time.

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