Report: Hospitals’ margins dip again in October, signaling continued difficulties

U.S. hospitals and health systems in October experienced their 10th consecutive month of negative operating margins, Kaufman Hall reported today. Median operating margins were down 43% from a year ago, as high labor and other costs continued to outpace revenues and labor shortages delayed discharges and admissions, according to data from over 900 hospitals.
“October represented another month of negative operating margins for hospitals, with a slight downturn from September,” the report notes. “As the year comes to a close, compounding months of poor performance could signal continued difficulties for hospitals in the near future.”
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