ACA: A Bust for Insurers, a Boon for Big Hospital Systems

Where the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) is proving to be a major financial challenge for insurers, some large hospital systems are experiencing a windfall since it launched. Tenet and HCA Holdings each say that ACA member admissions were up significantly over the previous fiscal year’s results. Tenet reports a 28% increase in inpatient admissions for that segment, with overall patient revenue going up 6%; HCA’s ACA inpatient hospitalizations were up 27%. The companies have not discussed how the increased volume has affected wait times in their emergency rooms, though industry surveys have shown them to be on the rise since the advent of ACA.