Connecticut Hospitals are seeing more patients in their emergency rooms, but their overall patient volume is declining, state records show.
The state’s 29 acute care hospitals discharged 416,068 patients in fiscal 2012, down from 426,388 patient discharges a year earlier, according to a new report published by the state Office of Health Care Access.
The overall decline in patient volume has actually been a trend in recent years as fewer people have made trips to the hospital. Tough economic conditions are sought to play a key role driving the trend as people put off elective surgeries and other procedures to save money.
In addition, many patients are paying a higher percentage of their health care costs, making them less inclined to seek out expensive medical services.
In Greater Hartford, The Hospital of Central Connecticut and Farmington’s John Dempsey Hospital experienced the largest patient volume declines of 11.2 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively, state records show.
There is one area, however, where hospitals are seeing more patients: the emergency department. About 1.76 million people visited an emergency department (ED) in fiscal 2012, up 3.2 percent from a year earlier.
ED visits are up because of the poor economy, which has left more people uninsured or underinsured, OHCA said. Hospitals are required to take care of patients regardless of their ability to pay for services. So, if a patient lacks adequate insurance coverage and is in need of urgent care they tend to go to the emergency department.
Vampires and zombies are invading Connecticut’s real estate market.
But the trend isn’t all that scary.
A new report from California research firm RealtyTrac found that 46 percent of bank-owned homes in Connecticut are still occupied by the previous owner who was foreclosed on, something RealtyTrac describes as “vampire” REOS.
Nationwide, 47 percent of bank owned homes are considered “vampire” REOS, putting Connecticut almost in line with the national average.
Meanwhile, RealtyTrac also released new data on what it calls “zombie” foreclosures, which shows the percentage of homes that are in the foreclosure process that have been vacated by the homeowner being foreclosed on.
In Connecticut, 15 percent of all homes in foreclosure have been vacated by the homeowner. Nationally, the number is 20 percent.
So what’s all the data mean? According to RealtyTrac Vice President Daren Blomquist, vampire and zombie properties are slowing the housing market recovery.
Vampire REOs, he said “represent a shadow inventory that is becoming more imminent as rising home prices motivate banks to sell off these homes to try to recoup their losses on soured loans.”
Meanwhile, zombie foreclosures are a threat because they often fall into disrepair with no one to perform regular maintenance and upkeep. That hurts the quality of the surrounding neighborhood and, more significantly, drags down home values.
In addition, the homeowner who left the property may not be aware that he or she is still responsible for property taxes and any other expenses that come with home ownership, Blomquist said.
Zombie and vampire properties, however, do present opportunities for buyers and investors. Investors may be able to purchase these properties — either outright or through a short sale — at significant discounts, particularly if a bank is looking to purge its books of foreclosed properties, Blomquist said.
