P.M. BRIEFING : Hospital Industry Seen at Risk
The nation’s hospital industry is at risk of crumbling unless programs are enacted to fund care for the uninsured and to rebuild deteriorating public hospitals, the National Assn. of Public Hospitals said today.
The NAPH said a survey of 100 public hospitals, including those in the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas, reveals a number of findings that indicate that the nation’s public hospitals are in danger.
Among the study’s findings:
* Thirty percent of inpatient days and 52% of outpatient visits in NAPH hospitals in 1988 were for patients with no source of payment.
* The average NAPH hospital had a negative operating margin of more than $9 million.
* Bad debt and charity care as a percentage of charges increased from 22% in 1982 to 42% in 1988 in NAPH hospitals.
* Occupancy rates are high in NAPH hospitals--over 80% --and they continue to rise. Some hospitals must care for some patients in hospital corridors due to a lack of available beds.
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