Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare recorded net income of $1.58 billion in the third quarter of 2026, down from $1.64 billion during the same period last year, according to its Oct. 27 financial report.
Eight things to know:
1. HCA recorded operating income of $2.4 billion (11.9% operating margin) for the three months ended Sept. 30, down from $2.4 billion (12.6% margin) during the same period last year.
2. The system’s total revenue was $19.8 billion, up from $19.2 billion during the third quarter of 2025. HCA said a shift in payer mix, driven by more uninsured patients — primarily those who lost coverage on the health insurance exchanges — reduced its pre-tax income by about $400 million in the quarter.
3. HCA reported total operating expenses of $17.5 billion in the third quarter, up from $16.7 billion during the same period last year. Salaries and benefits totaled $8.6 billion, up from $8.4 billion. Supply expenses stayed roughly flat at $2.8 billion. Other operating expenses totaled $4.5 billion, up from $4.2 billion.
4. HCA now expects its full-year results to land in the upper half of the 2026 guidance ranges it issued July 14. Those ranges include revenue of $77 billion to $79.5 billion and net income of $6.3 billion to $6.7 billion.
5. Third-quarter results included a $13 million gain on facility sales, compared to a $2 million loss in the same period last year.
6. Same-facility admissions in the third quarter increased 2.7% year over year. Same-facility equivalent admissions grew 3% and emergency room visits went up 5.1%. Same-facility inpatient surgeries declined 1.4%, outpatient surgeries dropped 3.7% and revenue per equivalent admission increased 0.6%.
7. As of Sept. 30, HCA operated 189 hospitals and about 2,600 ambulatory care sites, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics, in 19 states and the United Kingdom.
8. “I have often mentioned that HCA has strong staying power because of our scale, the important role we play in providing critical services to communities, and our disciplined culture,” HCA CEO Sam Hazen said in the report. “Despite the challenges brought about by federal policy changes this year, our colleagues have continued to provide high-quality care to patients, and we believe HCA Healthcare is positioned to end the year positively.”
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