How are Colorado hospitals doing financially?

58 of 95 Colorado hospitals (61%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was -3.1%, lower 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.

Colorado hospitals reported $628.2 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 University of Colorado Hospital Anschutz Inpatient ($99.1 million), Denver Health Medical Center ($82.7 million), Memorial Hospital Central ($44.0 million), Medical Center of Aurora, the ($31.2 million), HCA Healthone Mountain Ridge ($25.8 million).

Colorado ranks 29 of 50 states by the median operating margin of its hospitals (1 = highest). A larger share of its hospitals lost money on patient care than the U.S. as a whole (61% vs 55%).

University of Colorado Hospital Anschutz Inpatient in Aurora reported the most net patient revenue: $3.1 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 773 beds and an operating margin of -1.1%.

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.