TY - JOUR
T1 - The likely economic impact of fewer elective surgical procedures on US hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Best, Matthew J.
AU - McFarland, Edward G.
AU - Anderson, Gerard F.
AU - Srikumaran, Uma
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Joseph K. Canner, MHS, of the Johns Hopkins Surgery Center for Outcomes Research (JSCOR), Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for advisement on the design, methods, and guidance of statistical analysis for this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2020/11
Y1 - 2020/11
N2 - Background: To help control the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, elective procedures have been cancelled in most US hospitals by government order. The purpose of this study is to estimate national hospital reimbursement and net income losses owing to elective surgical procedure cancellation during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Methods: The National Inpatient Sample and the Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample were used to identify all elective surgical procedures performed in the inpatient setting and in hospital-owned outpatient surgery departments throughout the United States. Total cost, reimbursement, and net income was determined for all elective surgical procedures. Results: The estimated total annual cost of elective inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures in the United States was $147.2 billion, and estimated total hospital reimbursement was $195.4 to $212.2 billion. This resulted in a net income of $48.0 to $64.8 billion per year to the US hospital system. Cancellation of all elective procedures would result in estimated losses of $16.3 to $17.7 billion per month in revenue and $4 to $5.4 billion per month in net income to US hospitals. Conclusion: Cancellation of elective procedures during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has a substantial economic impact on the US hospital system.
AB - Background: To help control the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, elective procedures have been cancelled in most US hospitals by government order. The purpose of this study is to estimate national hospital reimbursement and net income losses owing to elective surgical procedure cancellation during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Methods: The National Inpatient Sample and the Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample were used to identify all elective surgical procedures performed in the inpatient setting and in hospital-owned outpatient surgery departments throughout the United States. Total cost, reimbursement, and net income was determined for all elective surgical procedures. Results: The estimated total annual cost of elective inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures in the United States was $147.2 billion, and estimated total hospital reimbursement was $195.4 to $212.2 billion. This resulted in a net income of $48.0 to $64.8 billion per year to the US hospital system. Cancellation of all elective procedures would result in estimated losses of $16.3 to $17.7 billion per month in revenue and $4 to $5.4 billion per month in net income to US hospitals. Conclusion: Cancellation of elective procedures during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has a substantial economic impact on the US hospital system.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.surg.2020.07.014
DO - 10.1016/j.surg.2020.07.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 32861440
AN - SCOPUS:85089908222
SN - 0039-6060
VL - 168
SP - 962
EP - 967
JO - Surgery (United States)
JF - Surgery (United States)
IS - 5
ER -