H1N1 cases could threaten hospital profits

By Bruce Japsen Tribune reporter While it's common for hospitals to see a revenue boost at the onset of seasonal influenza season, the additional threat of cases from the H1N1 swine flu virus could complicate this fall's and winter's financial picture for such health facilities. The hospital industry will most likely see a "positive" with better cash flow and revenue growth, said a report issued this week by Moody's Investors Service, which tracks the nonprofit hospital sector, the dominant form of hospital ownership in the U.S. But with hospitals seeing more uninsured patients and poor people covered by the lower-paying state Medicaid health insurance programs, a boon could "turn negative if pandemic levels of flu develop," in the U.S., said the New York-based firm that rates debt and finances of more than 500 nonprofit... [read full story]                    

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