U.S. hospital margins continue to fluctuate in 2022, making it likely hospitals will end the year in the red, according to strategic consulting company Kaufman Hall.
Fluctuations are due to high expenses and low volume compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to the Oct. 3 National Hospital Flash Report. The median year-to-date operating margin index was down 0.3 percent in August, Becker’s reports. Margins improved slightly by a median of 4.2 percentage points over July 2022 but remained down by a median of 2.1 percentage points from August 2021, according to the report.
