A nationwide assessment by Becker’s Hospital Review reveals one Montgomery County health system among the top United States payors for contract labor services. The analysis was reported by Becker’s Molly Gamble and Andrew Cass.

Data were collected on more than 8,000 U.S. hospitals; the top 20 of them spent more than $9 billion on contract labor.

Unsurprisingly, financing this employee pool has become more expensive in recent years. Becker’s cites that the average cost nationally more than doubled from 2011 to 2020.

In the Becker’s ranking of organizational outlays, Universal Health Services, King of Prussia, was rated No. 15 out of 20.

It was the only health system in Montgomery County — and one of only two in the state — to make the list.

According to its Jan. 21 data, Universal Health Services spent $209.09 million on contract labor expenses in its 28 acute-care facilities.

Nationally, No 1. was Kaiser Permanente, based in Oakland, California, whose contract labor cost was $3.14 billion.

UPMC, Pittsburgh (the only other Pennsylvania health system ranked), spent a reported $159.04 million, placing it No. 20.

More on this healthcare expense on is at Becker’s Hospital Review.

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This 2022 report from the New Hampshire Hospital Association bolsters the findings in the Becker’s data,
that labor costs are now a significant concern throughout the U.S. healthcare system.