Higher Costs Put Hospitals at Risk of More Cuts, Group Says
- Overall expenses are 17.5% higher than before pandemic
- Hospital group report also cites higher food, medicine costs
A empty bed at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut.
Photographer: Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty ImagesHigher hospital costs aren’t abating, and that could squeeze access to care, a hospital group is warning.
“Over half of hospitals ended 2022 operating at a financial loss — an unsustainable situation for any organization in any sector, let alone hospitals,” the American Hospital Association said in a report Thursday. “So far, that trend has continued into 2023 with negative median operating margins in January and February.”