
HCA Earnings Shows Some Softening in Surgical Volumes From Start of Year
HCA, the nation’s largest hospital system reported its earnings today, and the company’s surgical volume trends can provide some insight into procedure volumes, especially for more elective procedures. HCA operates 182 hospitals and over 2,300 care sites making it a relatively good barometer for admissions and surgery data for the entire market. Five percent of all U.S. hospital services happen at HCA. Overall in the third quarter there was some softening in admissions and surgery trends relative to growth rates at the start of the year.
In the quarter, admissions at existing facilities saw a 3.4 percent rise, and equivalent admissions at these facilities increased by 4.1 percent during the third quarter of 2023, as compared to the same period in the previous year. In the third quarter of 2023, emergency room visits at existing facilities grew by 3.5 percent year-over-year. Inpatient surgeries at these facilities experienced a 1.6 percent increase, while outpatient surgeries increased by 0.9 percent during the same quarter in 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2022. Furthermore, there was a 3.6 percent increase in revenue per equivalent admission at these existing facilities in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter in 2022.