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End-of-Life Choices

Trends in end-of-life care show that not only does the care given vary widely from region to region and hospital to hospital, but also patients often don't get the care they prefer. What can be done?

Care Management Puzzle

Chronic diseases and the cost of care are rising. Are disease management programs improving outcomes for patients with complex, chronic conditions?

No Middleman

Under the "direct primary care" model, patients pay a monthly fee for basic medical services. Learn about the history and current landscape of physician practices offering this arrangement.

Health Care Costs

Monday, January 07, 2013

U.S. Hospitals Spent $41B on Uncompensated Care in 2011, Survey Finds

In 2011, U.S. hospitals provided about $41 billion in uncompensated care, or 6% of their total expenses, according to an annual survey by the American Hospital Association, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports.

Survey Details

AHA's Annual Survey of Hospitals revealed that the rate of uncompensated care hospitals provide has remained steady at about 6% for more than 20 years.

For example, the survey found that in 2010, hospitals provided $39.3 billion in uncompensated care, or 5.8% of their total expenses.

According to "Healthwatch," the figures represent the combined total of hospitals' charity care and the amount left unpaid by patients and insurers, known as bad debt. AHA did not separate the data to show the amount of charity care versus bad debt (Viebeck, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 1/4).

Reader Comments:
  • 2
  • 01/07/2013
  • Lucy Johns

List price. This maximizes the imputed value of the care. The "average insurance company payment" would be difficult to measure: insurance-company negotiated rates are proprietary and total payments by private carriers to individual hospitals are not public (as are MCare and MCal payments at each hospital in CA).

  • 1
  • 01/07/2013
  • James Meyers

Is charity care tallied at the "list price" or the average insurance company payment?



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