AHA: COVID-19 to cost hospitals $323 billion

Editor's Note

The American Hospital Association on June 30 released a report on the financial strain facing hospitals and health systems because of COVID-19, with total losses expected to be at least $323 billion in 2020.

The total included $120.5 billion in financial losses that hospitals are predicted to see from July through December, in addition to the $202.6 billion in losses that were estimated between March and June.

The losses are in large part because of  lower patient volumes.

Hospitals and health systems are reporting an average decline of 19.5% in inpatient volume and 34.5% in outpatient volume, compared with baseline levels last year. Most hospitals don’t expect to return to last year’s levels in 2020.