Personally I’m more concerned about ICU bed utilization. Fewer deaths is wonderful news but increased numbers of people in the hospital for weeks undergoing extremely expensive ICU care and that care being paid for largely by Medicare is going to even further bankrupt us. Current median cost to treat a hospitalized coronavirus patient who recovers is $30,000 nationally
You are right. It is a concern. I also have to wonder if ICU admissions have seen an increase due to delays in treating Non Covid cases.
It is not just the outright payments that are a fiscal time bomb. We will probably see an increase in SSDI claims from younger persons who had a severe course and have been left with long term or life long disabling conditions such as severe lung damage.
What is bankrupting the hospitals is the inability to do elective surgeries.