In 2022, Indiana hospitals lost $72 million as inflation and rising labor costs put pressure on the state's healthcare institutions, Indiana Public Radio reported Feb. 3.
The state's hospitals' total operating income fell $1.2 billion below pre-pandemic levels, according to a financial analysis shared by the Indiana Hospital Association at a press conference Feb. 1. The news comes as state lawmakers propose bills to tackle rising healthcare costs in Indiana; some of the legislation aimed at hospital billing practices has been opposed by the Indiana Hospital Association.
Smaller hospitals across the state are concerned about potential closures.
"I think there's some awareness of the challenges, maybe, that our rural hospitals face, but our urban safety net hospitals are also under great strain," Brian Tabor, president of the Indiana Hospital Association, said in the press conference.