The Homeless Hub

Hospital Costs and Length of Stay Among Homeless Patients Admitted to Medical, Surgical, and Psychiatric Services
by Hwang, S. W.; Weaver, J.; Aubry, T. D;. Hoch, J. S.
Homeless patients cost hospitals an extra $2,500, largely because they have underlying health problems and stay longer, a new study suggests.
The research found that hospital stays by the homeless cost an average of $2,559 more than for other patients – “a substantial impact on the health care system,” Stephen Hwang, lead author of the study and a physician at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, said in a release. Dr. Hwang compared data for 3,081 homeless patients and 90,345 patients from the general population who were admitted to St. Mike’s over a five-year period.