Razor-thin margins are likely to be the norm for the foreseeable future as hospital finances begin to stabilize after three years of high variance, according to Kaufman Hall's latest "National Flash Hospital Report," based on data from more than 900 hospitals.
Here's how U.S. hospitals' median operating margins have changed from March 2022 to February 2023, according to Kaufman Hall:
March 2022: -2.1 percent
April 2022: - 2.4 percent
May 2022: -1.9 percent
June 2022: -0.7 percent
July 2022: -1.1 percent
August 2022: - 0.6 percent
September 2022: -0.4 percent
October 2022: -0.6 percent
November 2022: -0.6 percent
December 2022: -0.6 percent
January 2023: -0.8 percent
February 2023: -1.1 percent