Median Health System Operating Margins Up Slightly Between 2023 & 2024, But Hospital Margins Drop Slightly

Between November 2023 and October 2024, median health system operating margins increased from 0.6% to 1.8%. However, during the same period, the median year-to-date hospital operating margin declined from 5.1% to 4.9%. The median change in operating margin over time rose 1.7 percentage points both year-over-year (YOY) and month-over-month in October 2024. By region, the median change in operating margin ranged from increases of 1.2 percentage points for hospitals in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic to 3.1 percentage points for those in the South.   

Overall hospital expenses continued . . .