Covid-19 financial consequences in United States hospitals

Introduction: Since the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, United States (U.S.) hospitals have struggled to stay financially afloat amid the constant battle with unprecedented circumstances and financial consequences from the pandemic. The purpose of this research was to analyze the financial consequences of COVID-19 for U.S. hospitals to determine the impact on the number of inpatient cases, length of stay (LOS), surgeries performed, and operating expenses. The hypothesis was that U.S. hospitals were financially affected by the consequences of COVID-19, having more inpatient cases, increased LOS, fewer surgeries performed, and higher operating expenses. Methodology: The methodology for this qualitative study was a literature review following systematic reviews and a semi-structured interview. The references used for this research were located using Marshall University’s EbscoHost, CINAHL, ProQuest, and PubMed research databases. The inclusion criteria were articles published in the English language and studies conducted in the United States between 2012 and 2022. Results: The results of this study show that the inequalities in the distribution of CARES Act funding increased financial vulnerability for many hospital markets across the country. The results also show that, in all U.S. children’s hospitals, the number of inpatient stays was lower since the onset of the pandemic, as well as the number of emergency department visits and surgeries. Additionally, study findings show that the pandemic resulted in significant net income losses for all U.S. hospitals. Discussion: This investigation indicated that Covid-19 has caused a huge financial burden in U.S hospitals, causing an increase of LOS, more impatient cases, fewer surgeries, and higher operating expenses. Conclusion: Study findings point to the need for increased funding for U.S. hospitals to more effectively manage the number of inpatient cases, LOS, surgeries performed, and operating expenses, ensuring future sustainability and better health outcomes. Although previous findings indicated that CARES Act funding improved U.S. hospital outcomes amid the pandemic, our study followed a greater number of hospitals, both urban and rural, than those in studies conducted previously. Future researchers should consider investigating the impact of COVID-19 financial consequences on U.S. hospitals from beginning to end since the pandemic is still ongoing