Hospitals Had a Rough January

Hospitals’ financial performance in January of 2026 suffered in comparison to that in January of 2025, according to a recent report.

The report found that:

• Discharges fell two percent.
• Emergency department visits were off five percent.
• Average length of stay declined three percent.
• Expenses rose five percent.
• Labor costs increased five percent.
• Bad debt and charity care rose eight percent.

Learn more about how the new year brought financial challenges to hospitals from the Healthcare Dive article Hospitals’ financial performance off to a shaky start in 2026: report.