How are Alaska hospitals doing financially?

7 of 17 Alaska hospitals (41%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was 5.0%, higher than the U.S. median of -1.6%. The operating margin leaves out donations, investment income and grants, so some of these hospitals still end the year in the black.

Alaska hospitals reported $49.7 million in charity care (the cost of free or discounted care for patients who qualify) in their latest full-year reports. The largest amounts came from Providence Alaska Medical Ctr ($20.6 million), Alaska Regional Hospital ($9.6 million), Central Peninsula General Hospital ($4.4 million), Mat-Su Regional Medical Center ($4.0 million), Ketchikan General Hospital ($4.0 million).

Alaska ranks 5 of 50 states by the median operating margin of its hospitals (1 = highest). A smaller share of its hospitals lost money on patient care than the U.S. as a whole (41% vs 55%).

Providence Alaska Medical Ctr in Anchorage reported the most net patient revenue: $828.3 million in its latest full-year cost report, with 401 beds and an operating margin of 5.0%.

It is how much a hospital keeps from patient care after paying its operating costs, as a share of its patient revenue. A margin of 5% means the hospital kept 5 cents of every dollar it earned from patients; a negative margin means patient care cost more than it brought in. It excludes donations, investment income and grants.