Study Reveals Amount of Revenue for Hospitals Tied to Post-Surgical Complications

medical-costs

Such a problem can also lead to much more in the way of expense and ultimately of revenue that is paid to the medical care facility, according to the results of a recent study that analyzed the number of patients who suffered from post-surgical complications and then looked into the amount of money that was ultimately paid to those medical facilities. In short, the study revealed that post-surgical complications, whether they were the fault of the hospital or not, led to more money being spent on medical care and more revenue for these facilities.

The Journal of American Medicine recently published the results of a study that looked at the records associated with a 12-hospital non-profit health organization located in the southern portion of the United States. Specifically, the study looked at the difference in what was called ‘contribution margin’ attributed to patients who had experienced post-surgical complications and those who had not suffered through such an experience.

Overall, the study found that five percent of approximately 34,000 surgical patients encountered at least one serious post-surgical complication. It also found the following differences in the amounts paid for healthcare by those who experienced complications versus those who did not:

  • Patients with private insurance who had experienced complications provided a contribution margin of more than $39,000 more than those who did not.
  • Patients with Medicare who experienced complications provided $1,750 more in contribution margin.
  • Overall, the contribution margin for patients with complications was more than $8,000 higher than for those who did not experience these complications.

If you believe that something is wrong here, you’re probably far from alone. In most types of professional settings, mistakes and problems will not lead to additional revenue and profit.   However, the healthcare industry is obviously unique in terms of how it works, how these services are paid for and how things are handled on an administrative level.

This should also tell people that medical malpractice laws exist for a reason. While medical care facilities actually benefit in some ways when problems arise, the patients are left to suffer physically, emotionally and in many cases financially. That’s why people who are harmed by medical mistakes should be able to take steps to hold those medical facilities accountable. If you or someone you love has been harmed in this manner, contact the New York medical malpractice lawyers at The Fitzgerald Law Firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.

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