Amid ED surge, hospitals add diversion tools
Surging emergency department (ED) volumes have led a growing number of health systems to launch digital tools to divert nonemergent patients to alternative sites of care. Hospital ED volumes have increased 25% since 2021, according to the medians [subscription required] of rated hospitals tracked by Moody’s Investors Service. High ED volumes have resulted in overcrowding…
Nathan Kaufman: Hospital-based anesthesia and radiology operate in a broken financial model
The good ol’ days of hospital-based physicians providing services at no cost in exchange for exclusivity are over, creating significant disruptions. Health systems are facing a growing shortage of anesthesiologists and radiologists, a shortfall that is driven by a broken business model for those types of services. Underpayment for anesthesia and radiology care by Medicare and Medicaid combined with a lack of experience in related revenue cycle management and high…
Colorado hospitals see decline in ED utilization, a rare trend amid national surge
Colorado hospitals saw a decrease in ED volumes in 2024, the first since 2020, due to decreased ED visits by the uninsured, while hospitals nationwide saw an increase in ED visits due to coverage uncertainties.
Hospital revenue surges, but rising expenses raise concerns
Hospitals' financial performance has improved this year, with revenue increasing and operating margins reaching a high point, but expense trends are worrying due to increases in non-labor costs, bad debt, and charity care.
Hospital ED volumes hike 40% since 2020, according to Moody’s report
Hospital emergency department volumes have increased 40% since 2020, driven by an increasingly sick population seeking high-acuity care in one convenient location.