Violence Costs Hospitals a Staggering $18 Billion in 2023: AHA Report

Studies show that over the past 10 years, rates of assault, homicide, suicide and firearm violence have been increasing in the U.S., bringing with them huge costs to hospitals.

Further, violence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic including rates of intimate partner violence, suicide, firearm violence and workplace violence toward health care workers, and have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The AHA recently released a comprehensive report that measures the substantial financial resources hospitals and health systems spend on preventing and responding to violence in their facilities and communities.

Prepared by Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, part of the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, the report analyzes the financial costs and broader impacts of violence and threatening behavior and found that the total financial cost of violence to hospitals in 2023 was estimated at $18.27 billion. These costs include health care treatment for victims, security staffing for health care facilities, and violence prevention programs and training, among other costs.

“It is an unacceptable reality that those who dedicate their lives to healing should face the threat of violence,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “We know the enormous human and emotional toll violence takes on our communities and caregivers. This report goes beyond that to break down the significant related financial costs incurred upon hospitals and health systems. With the increase in violent events within clinical settings across the country, the resources needed to protect hospital workers and care for victims has grown exponentially. Every member of the health care team bears an enormous risk and burden of this violence. This report is yet another reminder we must do more to protect them.”

Researchers said that hospitals in 2023 spent $3.62 billion in pre-event costs to cover things like training and violence prevention programs, tech investments to monitors possible events and security personnel and staffing. Other pre-event expenses included facility modification to prevent and mitigate harms, outreach to build public trust, and policy and procedure development.

Post-event costs totaled $14.6 billion, including more than $13 billion in health care costs for fatal and nonfatal injuries.

Learn More

Visit the AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence webpage to find examples and best practices in the field about workplace and community violence and other resources to address these issues.