The coming hospital crisis
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Hospitals in the United States could lose more than $500 billion in 100 days during the coronavirus pandemic, according to former Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin. While Congress has appropriated $175 billion in total stimulus funding to hospitals, he said even that amount will not be enough to close the fiscal gap hospitals are facing.
Without proper funding to offset major financial losses during the pandemic, the consequences to major hospitals could be dire. Large hospitals could begin to see their capabilities and care resources fade, warned Shulkin and others who have served at the helm of major hospitals.
It could also require hospitals to prioritize some departments and teams, such as oncology and critical care teams, over others considered less essential. Large clinics, known for developing cutting-edge care could see reduction in the scope of their research, particularly for research unrelated to the coronavirus.
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It's not clear to me how policy relates to hospitals doing no business. I assume hospitals are considered essential and not covered by the lock down policies. Heck, even the place I work for isn't covered and we're hardly front line health care workers. So why are hospitals all but shut down these days?
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