Most U.S. Hospitals Are Empty Soon They Might Be Closed For Good

Tens of thousands of health care workers across the United States are going without pay today, even as providers in the nation’s hot spots struggle to contain the coronavirus pandemic

This “tale of two hospitals” is a function of clumsy, if well-intentioned, federal and state directives to halt all non-emergency procedures, which appeared at first blush to be a reasonable precaution to limit unnecessary exposure and safeguard staff, beds and equipment.

But instead of merely preserving hospital beds and other resources, this heavy-handed injunction has created a burden of its own design: a historic number of empty beds in systems left untouched by the pandemic.

Those hospitals have resorted to unprecedented levels of furloughs to stave off temporary budget shortfalls, but industry and economic trends point to more lasting outcomes unless immediate action is taken.

At 18 percent of the U.S. economy, health care is a $3.6 trillion industry annually. By barring all elective surgeries, which covers a huge array of operations, like knee reconstructions or even cancer biopsies, hospitals have been denied billions in revenue in just the last month alone.

Outpatient services account for half of all hospital revenue, which means hospitals are now making, and spending, half what they were this time last year.

California authorities identify final unknown victim of ‘Happy Face Killer’ Keith Jesperson after 34 years

New York Gov Hochul rejects Trump’s ‘Lake America’ renaming with blunt message

Maine meteorologist suffers giggle attack on live TV after prank backfires spectacularly

Defense Claims Lindsay Clancy ‘Never Did Anything Wrong in Her Life’ in Closing Argument

Report: Trump Admin Nearing ‘Massive’ Venezuelan Oil Deal

RNC threatens legal action against New Jersey officials over noncitizens on voter rolls: ‘On notice’

Social media erupts after cops reportedly raid home of Ilhan Omar’s son: ‘Not a good look’

Gov Shapiro sues Trump administration over ‘lifesaving reproductive care’ in escalating abortion battle

Watch: Hegseth Rights Another Biden Wrong – Upgrades Abbey Gate Heroes’ Awards After Previous Admin Wrongly Downgraded Them

Lutnick stumps for Trump’s Kennedy Center rebrand outside key court hearing

Restaurant Hands Dessert with Painful Birthday Message to Wheelchair-Bound Diner After Kitchen Staffer Misunderstands Instructions

US removes radioactive cancer-treatment material from Central American country over ‘dirty bomb’ risk

Embattled California Democrat to step aside as Dads Caucus chairman

White House silent on Iran-Oman Hormuz plan Tehran says would ban US warships

Socialist surge threatens Democrats in New Hampshire Senate race

It’s not surprising, then, that the industry shed a record 43,000 health care workers in the first month of this crisis. Experts expect equal or greater layoffs this month, when the sustained forbearance has made revenue even more urgent.

Even before this crisis, one in four rural hospitals were vulnerable to closure. Now, many of these rural systems have more empty beds than ever before.

It doesn’t take an economist to understand the underlying economics here. And it won’t just be rural health care that will suffer—hospitals in every corner of the country might close for good.

The coronavirus will continue to spread throughout the United States, but our ability to treat and prevent its transmission will be severely constrained if as-yet-unaffected hospitals resort to mass layoffs. We need to sustain robust staffing in every corner of this country—and prohibiting elective surgeries outright is wildly counterproductive.

Understand: The availability of clinicians in hot spots like New York City, New Orleans and Detroit is no more an urgent public health crisis than health care staffing everywhere else because when this is over these patients will still require dialysis, chemotherapy and other life-saving treatments.

Health care has historically weathered economic downturns in stride because people get sick even in depressions, but this is unlike previous slumps. In the past 30 years, there have been only four months where the industry destroyed jobs. What used to be the worst case, in 2003, was just one-quarter of the losses experienced in March.

See also Dolly Parton dies at age 80

Hospitals are in the business of treating patients, but few are any more—which means more furloughs are ahead unless and until hospitals are allowed to perform their basic function: provide health care.