By GARRY RAYNO
InDepthNH.org

The COVID-19 epidemic has taken a large bite out of the revenues of healthcare organizations – from large to small hospitals, visiting nurse associations, regional providers and nursing homes, an advisory committee was told Tuesday.

The Stakeholders Advisory Committee of the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery heard health-care providers from around the state tell of major financial losses due to the epidemic, some made worse by the state’s low Medicaid reimbursement rates.

While all health-care sectors suffered revenue losses and reduced enrollments, hospital officials said their losses are staggering and are likely to be $700 million or more.

Steve Ahnen, president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, said hospitals had an immediate 50 percent reduction in revenues in March when they stopped voluntary procedures.

While allowing hospitals to offer time-sensitive procedures again will help, he said, additional revenues have been slow to materialize after hospitals shut down all voluntary procedures to prepare for COVID-19 patients and prevent its spread.

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