AHA released a new report which finds that the financial strain facing hospitals and health systems due to COVID-19 will continue through at least the end of 2020, with patient volume expected to remain well below baseline levels. The report estimates an additional minimum of $120.5 billion in financial losses, due in large part to lower patient volumes, from July through December, or an average of $20.1 billion per month. These estimates are in addition to the $202.6 billion in losses AHA estimated between March and June in a report released last month.

The new report found that hospitals and health systems currently report average declines of 19.5 percent in inpatient volume and 34.5 percent in outpatient volume relative to baseline levels from 2019. In addition, most hospitals and health systems do not expect volume to return to baseline levels in 2020. Importantly, today’s analysis does not account for currently increasing case rates in certain states, or potential subsequent surges of the pandemic occurring later this year.

This brings total losses for the nation’s hospitals and health systems to at least $323.1 billion in 2020 – a number that could grow if the current surge trends continue.

Earlier analyses from NJHA’s Center for Health Analytics, Research and Transformation has also documented COVID-19’s fiscal impact on hospitals as well as nursing homes.