Total revenue losses from cancelled surgeries and other services added up to approximately $161.4 billion over the four-month period, including for cancelled surgeries, various levels of cancelled non-elective surgeries and outpatient treatment, and reduced emergency department services.

Non-treatment costs for hospitals and health systems amounted to $2.4 billion or roughly $600 million per month, from greater demand for equipment and supplies for patients and staff. In addition, the cost of support for front-line workers in COVID-19 hot spots tacked on another $2.2 billion through the end of June or just under $550 million per month, including for child care, housing, transportation, and medical screening and treatment for COVID-19 among frontline workers. This last estimate could increase as more outbreaks of the virus occur, or legislation were to extend benefits to all healthcare workers during the pandemic.


It should be noted that the figures presented in the report, while providing some insight into the financial state of U.S. healthcare, are undermined by limited data that barred it from including other important factors, such as drug shortage costs, wage and labor costs, capital costs and non-PPE medical supplies and equipment costs.

“The totality of these costs combined with the uncertainty of the pandemic’s duration is certain to imperil hospital finances,” wrote the authors in the report. “After years of declining margins, it was only recently that many of the credit rating agencies expressed optimism about hospitals’ ability to weather low payment rates from government providers amidst increasing enrollment in government programs, competition from tech disruptors, and other increasing costs such as prescription drugs, and salary and wages.”

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