News: Overall U.S. hospital performance stable at beginning of the year, report shows
Kaufman Hall has released its National Hospital Flash Report, covering United States’ hospital data for January 2025, according to HealthLeaders.
The report examines 1,300 hospitals nationwide, calculating figures pertaining to operating margins, profitability, revenue, expenses, and volume. The report further breaks down these metrics by geographical location and hospital bed size.
It also contains data on general nonoperating metrics (e.g., consumer price index, healthcare labor market), as well as nonoperating liabilities (e.g., municipal bond flows, investment portfolio returns, equity assets).
The following are three key takeaways from the report:
- “Hospital performance remains stable at the start of 2025. This is due to a confluence of greater service volume and rising expenses.”
- “Expenses continue to be driven primarily by the cost of drugs. However, the rate of cost growth has slowed considerably.”
- “Inpatient revenue grew more quickly than outpatient revenue in January. More patients were treated in the hospital and emergency room.”
Other significant metrics included:
- Operating margin index (+8% compared to January 2024)
- Increases in discharges per calendar day (+5%)
- Equivalent patient days per calendar day (+6%)
- Drug expenses per calendar day (+1%)
Editor’s note: To read the Healthleaders coverage, click here. To read the Kaufman Hall report, click here