-
1
Children's hospitals (CHs) often face financial challenges due to underpayment for services, with 3.4% of hospitalizations being uncompensated.
-
2
The study analyzed 199,300 hospitalizations across 10 CHs, revealing a mean revenue loss of $23.4 million per hospital in 2021.
-
3
Uncompensated hospitalizations were more common among shorter stays, lower complexity cases, and patients discharged against medical advice.
-
4
The total cost of uncompensated care across the studied CHs was $233.9 million, with an average cost of $33,105 per uncompensated encounter.
-
5
The findings highlight the financial strain on CHs, potentially threatening their ability to serve community healthcare needs.
