Elective Surgeries And Hospital Profits Rise, But Supply Chain Still A Problem
Revenues appear to be up as more patients receive care, and many patients are scheduling non-urgent surgeries such as knee replacements that had been postponed during the pandemic. However, the supply chain shortages that have forced many health systems to cancel procedures will likely continue into 2024.
Axios:
Hospital Revenues Appear To Be Rising
Hospital revenues appear to be on the upswing as more patients receive care — which is welcome news for the hospital industry and not-so-great for insurers. Hospitals have been warning for months that their financial stability is threatened by inflation, labor costs and other factors in the wake of the pandemic, which could ultimately threaten patient care. (Owens, 6/15)
Reuters:
Hip, Knee Replacements Back On Track, Boosting Device Makers
Older adults are catching up on missed hip and knee replacements and other non-urgent surgeries, a shift that will benefit medical device makers this year, Wall Street analysts said after insurer UnitedHealth warned of higher costs due to a spike in some procedures. While heart-related surgeries have returned to pre-pandemic numbers after delays due to lockdowns and hospital staffing shortages, orthopedic surgeries had initially lagged as older Americans chose to postpone them. (Mishra and Leo, 6/15)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospital Supply Chain Shortages To Worsen: Premier Survey
Nearly half of 233 hospital and health system employees surveyed had to cancel or reschedule procedures at least quarterly in 2022 due to product shortages, according to a poll conducted from late March to mid-April by Premier, a consulting and group purchasing organization. Health systems have been managing shortages for hundreds of products, ranging from intra-aortic balloon pumps to chemotherapy drugs. (Kacik, 6/15)
In other health care industry news —
San Francisco Chronicle:
Becerra Unveils New Program For Health Care Workers At Oakland Event
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Mayor Sheng Thao appeared together in Oakland on Thursday to announce a program intended to boost the diversity of the nation’s health care workers. In brief remarks at Samuel Merritt University, Becerra said HHS’ new Health Workforce Initiative would ensure that medical students from underserved communities have the resources they need to succeed — and that those communities would benefit from their talent. (Castro-Root, 6/15)
Stat:
Getting Rid Of Racial Bias In Clinical Calculators Proves Challenging
Racial bias is everywhere in medicine, including the calculators doctors commonly use to predict a patient’s risk of disease and inform their treatment. A growing movement is encouraging medical specialties and hospitals to reconsider the use of race in those tools. But a new study shows that removing bias isn’t as simple as taking race out of the equation. (Palmer, 6/16)
The New York Times:
It’s Not Just You: Many People Confront Health Insurance Obstacles On Care And Bills
A majority of Americans with health insurance said they had encountered obstacles to coverage, including denied medical care, higher bills and a dearth of doctors in their plans, according to a new survey from KFF, a nonprofit health research group. As a result, some people delayed or skipped treatment. Those who were most likely to need medical care — people who described themselves as in fair or poor health — reported more trouble; three-fourths of those receiving mental health treatment experienced problems. (Abelson, 6/15)
KFF Health News:
What One Hospital’s Slow Recovery From A Cyberattack Means For Patients
In fall 2021, staffers at Johnson Memorial Health were hoping they could finally catch their breath. They were just coming out of a weeks-long surge of covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths, fueled by the delta variant. But on Oct. 1 at 3 a.m., a Friday, the hospital CEO’s phone rang with an urgent call. “My chief of nursing said, ‘Well, it looks like we got hacked,’” said David Dunkle, CEO of the health system based in Franklin, Indiana. (Yousry, 6/16)
