Category: Hospitals

Report: Hospitals Who Want to Collect Fees should Provide Better Cost Estimates

Hand Holding Cash ca. 1998

Historically hospitals have not really had to worry about collect directly from patients. On average patient cost-sharing is only about 3% when patients enter the hospital. Health care providers generally focus on insurance reimbursement. Maybe that is changing with the growing prevalence of high deductible plans. Now hospital patients can potentially owe several thousand dollars depending on whether they’ve met their deductibles and their cost-sharing arrangements.

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Health Construction Declined in January, Robust Year on Year

Census2The construction market was weak overall in January, especially in health facilities, where construction starts declined 1.6 percent from December. Other construction starts declined only 1.0 percent. Health facilities construction accounted for just under six percent of the value of all new nonresidential construction.

Construction of private health facilities dropped 0.2 percent, versus an increase of 0.3 percent for private non-health facilities. Private health facilities construction starts accounted for over seven percent of private nonresidential construction starts. Construction of public health facilities dropped by 6.6 percent. However, construction of other public facilities dropped by 4.9 percent. In other words, the decline in health facilities construction was 0.4 percentage points worse than the change in non-health private construction, versus 1.7 percentage points worse than non-health public construction (Table I).

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Medical Errors Third Leading Cause of Death?

Apparently medical care is bad for you!

According to data from the British Medical Journal, in an article brought to us by Vox, a quarter of a million people died of medical errors in 2013. Medical errors were exceeded as a cause of death only by cancer (585,000 people) and heart disease (611,000 people).  Death from motor vehicle accidents paled in comparison (34,000) – as did death from firearms (34,000) and suicide (41,000).

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Health Construction Picked Up in December

Census2Health facilities construction turned around in December, growing 0.6 percent versus a decline of 0.3 percent in starts for other construction. Health facilities construction accounted for almost 6 percent of non-residential construction starts. However, the growth was all in private health facilities.

Construction of private health facilities grew 1.2 percent, versus an increase of 0.2 percent for private non-health facilities. Private health facilities construction starts accounted for less than 4 percent of private nonresidential construction starts. Construction of public health facilities dropped by 1.5 percent. However, construction of other public facilities dropped by even more, 1.8 percent. In other words, health facilities construction outpaced non-health construction by 1.0 percentage points in the private construction market, versus only 0.3 percentage points in the public construction market (Table I).

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Drop in Health Facilities Construction Continues in November

Census2October’s construction trend continued in November. Overall, health facilities construction starts declined 0.1 percent, versus an increase of 0.9 percent for other construction. Health facilities construction accounted for almost 6 percent of non-residential construction starts. However, there was greater gap between health and non-health starts in private than public construction.

Construction of private health facilities dropped 0.2 percent, versus an increase of 1.0 percent for private non-health facilities. Private health facilities construction starts accounted for less than 4 percent of private nonresidential construction starts. Construction of public health facilities increased by 0.4 percent, while construction of public non-health facilities increased 0.8 percent. In other words, non-health facilities construction outpaced health construction by 1.2 percentage points in the private construction market, versus only 0.4 percentage points in the public construction market.

For the twelve months ending last October, there was a significant difference in trend between private and public construction. Non-health private construction increased 4.3 percent, but private health facilities construction dropped 1.5 percent. On the other hand, non-health facilities public construction increased 2.6 percent, while public health facilities construction increased by 2.9 percent.

This suggests private investors are nervous about future revenue growth in hospitals and other facilities.

See Table I below the fold:

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Lack of Transparency (and Bribes) Nearly Allowed Hospital to Commit Highway Robbery

googlemapsNear my old office just off U.S. Highway 75 in Dallas sits a hospital that was originally built by physicians. It is close to a hospital medical district, known as Medical City. Forest Park Medical Center was part of a small chain of investor-owned, for-profit hospitals. They are now bankrupt and have been sold off to bigger hospital systems.

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Significant Drop in Health Facilities Construction in October

Census2Construction of health facilities slowed in October, while other construction increased a little. Overall, health facilities construction starts declined 3.1 percent, versus an increase of 0.7 percent for other construction. Health facilities construction accounted for almost 6 percent of non-residential construction starts. However, while both private and public health facilities construction both declined, there was divergence between private and public non-health construction.

Construction of private health facilities dropped 3.3 percent, versus a drop of 2.1 percent for public health facilities. Private health facilities construction starts accounted for almost 8 percent of private nonresidential construction starts. Construction of private non-health facilities declined by 2.0 percent, while construction of public non-health facilities increased 2.9 percent. It looks like the government has finally pulled back spending on public and VA hospitals.

(See Table I below the fold.)

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Divergence in Private Versus Public Health Facilities Construction Continues in September

Census2Construction of health facilities slowed in September, along with other construction. Overall, health facilities construction starts declined 0.3 percent in September, versus a drop of 0.4 percent for other construction. Health facilities construction accounted for 6 percent of non-residential construction starts. However, the divergence between private and public continued.

Construction of private health facilities dropped 1.0 percent, versus a drop of 0.2 percent for other private construction. Private health facilities construction starts accounted for almost 8 percent of private nonresidential construction starts. Construction of public health facilities increased a whopping 2.4 percent, versus a drop of 1.0 percent for other public construction. Is this what they mean by “infrastructure” spending – broken bridges and roads, while more VA and county hospitals spring up?

(See Table I below the fold.)

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Health Facilities Construction Growth Up Amidst General Decline in August

Census2Construction of health facilities significantly outpaced other construction in August. Overall, health facilities construction starts increased 1.2 percent in August, versus a drop of 0.8 percent for other construction. Further, both private and public health facilities construction grew.

Construction of private health facilities grew 0.6 percent, versus a drop of 0.4 percent for other private construction. Construction of public health facilities increased a whopping 3.6 percent, versus a drop of 2.2 percent for other public construction. Is this what they mean by “infrastructure” spending – broken bridges and roads, while more VA and county hospitals spring up?

See Table I Below the fold:

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Significant Divergence in Private Vs. Public Health Facilities Construction in July

Census2The divergence between private and public health facilities construction continued in July. Overall, health facilities construction starts increased 0.3 percent in July, versus zero for other construction. However, there was a significant difference between the private and public segments.

Construction of private health facilities dropped 0.3 percent, versus an increase of 1.0 percent for other private construction. Construction of public health facilities increased a whopping 2.5 percent, versus a drop of 3.2 percent for other public construction (Table I).

Is this what they mean by “infrastructure” spending – broken bridges and roads, while more VA and county hospitals spring up?

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