Even before Covid-19 struck the United States, health care costs were skyrocketing and hospital finances were shaky. These facts placed both providers and patients on a collision course, which our current pandemic has amplified.
In many parts of the country, the coronavirus has forced clinics and hospitals to slow or stop nonemergency services temporarily. Now that many are back up and running, patients continue to stay away for fear of getting sick. This has resulted in huge losses for large health care institutions, which the American Hospital Association projects will reach $323 billion by the end of 2020.
