Operating margins for U.S. hospitals and health systems were down 24% in August compared to a year ago, driven in large part by a 7.2% increase in labor expenses, according to data from over 900 hospitals reported yesterday by Kaufman Hall. 

“Nine months into a challenging year, margins have fluctuated wildly,” the report notes. “Although most metrics improved from July to August, organizations are still operating with negative margins and well below pre-pandemic levels.”

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An AHA blog published March 24 responds to a recent KFF brief on the role of hospital care in recent health care spending growth. It explains why hospital…
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Recent analyses of national health spending have again placed hospitals at the center of the affordability debate. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation brief…
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From birth to death, from critical injuries to elective surgeries, from crisis and disaster to community food banks and health improvement initiatives —…
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America’s hospitals and health systems are deeply committed to providing high-quality, accessible and affordable care, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack March…
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A hospital patient from the 1990s would likely marvel at the pace of progress in health care just a generation later. America’s hospitals and health systems…
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The AHA March 11 released the latest edition of its annual Costs of Caring report, highlighting how hospitals and health systems continue to face increases in…