Hospitals’ outpatient volumes and operating room times both declined in July compared to June, while costly inpatient stays lengthened, Healthcare Dive reports. The combination is contributing to some of the worst operating margins since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaufman Hall said in a report.
Pent-up demand for medical care that was postponed during the winter surge in COVID-19 omicron cases has bottomed out, the advisory firm said. At the same time, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and stimulus funding that helped offset losses in previous pandemic years has dried up.
Kaufman Hall said its median hospital operating margin index of negative 0.98% for the year to date reflects seven straight months of losses. Read more.
