Volumes at UPMC largely rebounded to pre-pandemic ranges within the second half of 2020, propelling the Pittsburgh, Pa.-based tutorial well being system to an $836 million working earnings, UPMC introduced Friday.
UPMC reported $23 billion in working income in 2020, even after COVID-19 measures throttled inpatient and outpatient volumes within the first half of the 12 months. The well being system recorded a $27 million working earnings on working income of $20.6 billion in 2019. The group famous that it has since reclassified some bills, rising its 2019 working earnings to $239 million.
Whereas inpatient visits had been nonetheless down 10{9408d2729c5b964773080eecb6473be8afcc4ab36ea87c4d1a5a2adbd81b758b} as of Dec. 31 in comparison with 2019, volumes have since recovered to close pre-COVID ranges, UPMC stated in its earnings report. In the meantime, outpatient and doctor providers volumes barely elevated within the final two quarters of 2020 in comparison with the again half of 2019.
UPMC’s insurance coverage division helped enhance its funds as insurance coverage working earnings elevated by $405 million from 2019 to 2020, partly resulting from medical utilization reducing via the primary two quarters on account of COVID-19. UPMC had 4 million insurance coverage members as of Dec. 31, up 11{9408d2729c5b964773080eecb6473be8afcc4ab36ea87c4d1a5a2adbd81b758b} from the prior 12 months.
Whereas volumes have rebounded, UPMC executives stated on a name with reporters Friday that they had been nervous about those that deferred or skipped care. Continual diseases might have worsened or early signs might have been missed as sufferers prevented preventative care. That, mixed with a “pretty important” improve in psychological well being instances, may pose long-term penalties, stated Diane Holder, president of the UPMC insurance coverage providers division and president and CEO of UPMC Well being Plan.
“It makes us just a little involved that people who didn’t get colonoscopies or different preventative care may even see their situations advance,” she stated.
UPMC physicians proceed to encourage their sufferers to not delay preventative care, UPMC informed Fashionable Healthcare after the decision.
Telehealth helped fill among the care gaps. Round mid-April, UPMC was performing about 15,000 telehealth visits a day, up from about 250 a day in February. Whereas utilization has since dropped, the system continues to be logging about 6,500 each day video or cellphone consultations.
UPMC accomplished a $111 million inpatient tower at UPMC Hamot in February, which added 64 intensive care beds to its community. That was a part of the programs’ $865 million of 2020 capital expenditures.
