How are Connecticut hospitals doing financially?

28 of 32 Connecticut hospitals (88%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was -7.9%, 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.

Connecticut hospitals reported $203.4 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 Yale-New Haven Hospital ($44.2 million), Hartford Hospital ($28.9 million), Bridgeport Hospital ($23.6 million), St Vincent's Medical Center ($13.5 million), Stamford Hospital ($9.4 million).

Connecticut ranks 40 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 (88% vs 55%).

Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven reported the most net patient revenue: $4.0 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 1,402 beds and an operating margin of -9.6%.

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.