The rollout of the Affordable Care Act has already set off significant change and uproar around individual insurance plans. As the ACA settles into place in 2014, more change and concerns are coming to small rural hospitals. Under the ACA, small rural hospitals will see significant reductions in traditional Medicare payments, and some will see new payment requirements for patient care. Rural hospitals rely on Medicare payments – which primarily cover older people – for almost 45 percent of their annual income. Click here to read the full article by Cristina Janney.