Statistics on the Financial Health of U.S. Hospitals

Here are some statistics on the financial health of hospitals and health systems in the United States, according to the Healthcare Financial Management Association's Healthcare Financial Pulse: The Financial Health of U.S. Hospitals and Healthcare Systems, which surveyed 309 hospital financial executives in late 2008.

Percentage of hospitals experiencing access challenges over the last 3-6 months
Hospitals that experienced substantial increase in cost of debt ─ 38 percent
Hospitals that experienced delayed or withdrawn bond issue ─ 17 percent
Hospitals that experienced failure of debt offering ─ 17 percent
Hospitals that experienced difficulty securing liquidity facility ─ 18 percent
Hospitals that used their maximum line of credit ─ 4 percent
Hospitals denied a bank loan ─ 2 percent

Percentage of hospitals experiencing a decline in inpatient volume in the last six months
Hospitals with declined inpatient volume ─ 55 percent
Hospitals with declined inpatient volume of more than 2 percent ─ 27 percent
Hospitals with declined inpatient volume and outpatient volume ─ 46 percent

Percentage of hospitals anticipating capital spending cuts over the next 3-6 months
Hospitals expected to reduce medical technology expenditures ─ 79 percent
Hospitals expected to reduce IT decision system expenditures ─ 77 percent
Hospital expected to reduce new construction expenditures ─ 72 percent
Hospitals expected to reduce operating expenditures ─ 53 percent
Hospitals expected to hold off on all new construction projects ─ 37 percent

Source: Healthcare Financial Management Association's Healthcare Financial Pulse: The Financial Health of U.S. Hospitals and Healthcare Systems (pdf).