title: Financial effects of an influenza pandemic on US hospitals.
abstract: We estimate the financial effects of an influenza pandemic on US hospitals, including the cost of deferring elective admissions and the cost of uncompensated care for uninsured patients. Using US pandemic planning assumptions and national data on health care costs and revenues, a 1918-like pandemic would cause US hospitals to absorb a net loss of $3.9 billion, or an average $784,592 per hospital. Policymakers should consider contingencies to ensure that hospitals do not become insolvent as a result of a severe pandemic.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA. jmatheny@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matheny
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toner
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waldhorn
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000191:economics*; D004469:Economics, Hospital; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology