Early 2021 Data Show No Rebound in Health Care Utilization

This analysis by KFF and Epic Health Research Network (EHRN) finds that hospital admissions remained below expected levels in early 2021, suggesting much of the care people put off during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic may have been forgone altogether. Though admissions for COVID-19 in March 2021 were down from their peak in January 2021 as vaccines became available, the virus continued to drive a significant share of admissions to hospitals. Health spending more broadly remains below pre-pandemic levels.

The analysis is based on electronic medical record data from EHRN on nearly 10 million admissions since 2017.