Report: Workforce challenges increase average hospital stay

The average hospital stay increased 19% overall in 2022 compared with 2019, and increased 24% for patients discharged to post-acute care, according to an American Hospital Association issue brief. Even after adjusting for greater patient acuity after the pandemic, the average hospital stay has increased as much as 29% for patients discharged to psychiatric hospitals. As rising labor costs and workforce shortages threaten timely access to the most appropriate care for patients, AHA urges Congress to establish a temporary per diem Medicare payment to help cover the cost to care for patients awaiting discharge, which it currently does not reimburse.