Originally Posted by
jfsully
Actually, the more likely scenario is: you come for your hip replacement, get tested for COVID, test positive, and are sent home to quarantine for 2 weeks (or whenever they reschedule your hip surgery for). You are not hospitalized for asymptomatic covid, and if you have been waiting at home for the hip replacement, you will continue to wait. Hospitals like to be busy, but not full. Full hospitals lead to worse outcomes. Prolonged hospital admissions lower profit for hospitals. Hospitals have a financial incentive to get people in and out as quickly as possible. Many payments to hospitals are capitated, meaning you get paid a flat rate by diagnosis. If you keep someone longer, you spend more overhead on them without generating more income, and your profit goes down. Best to have a short, sweet admission.