While it hasn't been great for patients, the flu bug has done hospitals a favor. This year's crop of flu shots turned out to be less effective than expected for current strains of the virus, so more patients have gotten sick. This has, in some cases, translated to better first-quarter results for hospitals. Not only has there been a higher volume of patients admitted due to flu, many of them have been elderly people on Medicare which, while it doesn't pay high rates, is at least a reliable payer. This has helped hospitals trim bad-debt ratios and push revenues higher than they had been in previous quarters.
To learn more about this trend:
- read this article from The Tennessean
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