New York Times: Fewer Patients Paying Hospital Bills

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Written by Staff

Friday, 07 November 2008

Not only are fewer patients able to pay their bills, fewer paying patients are walking through the doors of hospitals: Even patients with insurance are deferring treatment and procedures, reports the New York Times.

"Some patients with insurance seem to be deferring treatments like knee replacements, hernia repairs and weight-loss surgeries — the kind of procedures that are among the most lucrative to hospitals," says the report, which appeared in the Nov. 6 edition. "Just as consumers are hesitant to make any sort of big financial decision right now, some patients may feel too financially insecure to take time off work or spend what could be thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses for elective treatments."

The story further reports that inpatient admissions are down 2 to 3 percent from a year ago, that 62 percent of hospitals report flat or declining patient admissions, and that bad debt is approaching record levels for many hospitals.

Read the full story here.