Decreasing Hospital LOS and Costs | iHS

Decreasing length of stay (LOS) and costs are critical to hospital and hospital system financial viability.

Patients needing Skilled Nursing Facilities post hospitalization are experiencing growing delays in discharging from the acute care hospital setting. These delays force hospitals to pay for the additional necessary care until the patient can be discharged.  Frequently, hospitals receive no additional reimbursement for the care provided. 

Strata Decision Technology, a healthcare and technology consulting firm, reported that patients waiting for discharge to post-acute care have a longer average length of stay than those of their counterparts.  Hospital length of stay has increased by nearly 24 percent from 2019 to 2022. Hospitals’ expenses were estimated to rise by $135 billion in 2022.  And 68% of hospitals were predicted to operate at a financial loss, according to Kauffman Hall, another consulting firm.

For hospitals and hospital systems to remain financially viable in the future, they must engage in initiatives that will successfully decrease these avoidable days. Reducing the time for post-acute authorizations can significantly reduce SNF discharge delays decreasing hospital LOS and costs.

At IHS, we specialize in streamlining the post-acute authorization process significantly reducing wait times for post-acute authorization. Let us help you achieve faster approvals and enhance overall efficiencies while decreasing LOS and costs.