Other
Patient Care Costs
HCA Healthcare Patient Care Costs decreased by 0.5% to $16.25B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 5.0%, from $15.47B to $16.25B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Patient Care Costs shows an upward trend with a 6.7% CAGR. This is a positive signal — lower values indicate better performance for this metric.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOther
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ1 2017
Last reportedQ1 2026Apr 29, 2026
How to read this metric
An increase relative to revenue indicates margin compression, while a decrease suggests improved operational efficiency or cost control.
Detailed definition
This metric aggregates the direct expenses incurred in the delivery of medical services, including labor, medical suppli...
Peer comparison
Commonly reported as the primary operating expense line item for hospital systems.
Metric ID:
other_patient_care_costsHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $11.95B | $12.80B | $12.68B | $12.74B | $12.52B | $12.83B | $13.08B | $13.16B | $13.56B | $14.12B | $14.50B | $14.78B | $14.76B | $15.08B | $15.44B | $15.47B | $15.64B | $16.20B | $16.34B | $16.25B |
| QoQ Change | — | +7.1% | -1.0% | +0.5% | -1.7% | +2.4% | +2.0% | +0.6% | +3.1% | +4.1% | +2.7% | +1.9% | -0.1% | +2.1% | +2.4% | +0.2% | +1.1% | +3.6% | +0.9% | -0.5% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +4.8% | +0.2% | +3.2% | +3.2% | +8.3% | +10.1% | +10.8% | +12.3% | +8.8% | +6.8% | +6.5% | +4.6% | +5.9% | +7.4% | +5.8% | +5.0% |
Range$11.95B – $16.34B
CAGR+6.7%
Avg YoY Growth+6.5%
Median YoY Growth+6.2%
Patient Care Costs at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is HCA Healthcare's patient care costs?
- HCA Healthcare (HCA) reported patient care costs of $16.25B in Q1 2026.
- How has HCA Healthcare's patient care costs changed year-over-year?
- HCA Healthcare's patient care costs increased by 5.0% year-over-year, from $15.47B to $16.25B.
- What is the long-term trend for HCA Healthcare's patient care costs?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), HCA Healthcare's patient care costs has grown at a 6.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $49.07B to $63.64B.
- What does patient care costs mean?
- The total direct expenses required to provide medical care to patients.