Hospitals Losing Billions As Elective Procedures Are Paused

During the COVID-19 outbreak, hospitals are losing over $50 billion monthly due to paused elective procedures, which form a significant part of their revenue. Elective procedures include surgeries like colonoscopy and hip replacement. Meanwhile, health insurance companies are seeing increased profits as the delay in procedures offsets the costs of COVID-19 care. Experts suggest that normal levels of elective procedures will resume only after a COVID-19 treatment or vaccine is developed, and hospitals may take years to recover financially.

What do medical experts predict about the resumption of elective procedures?

What is the expected timeline for hospitals to financially rebound according to the text?