How are Georgia hospitals doing financially?

68 of 137 Georgia hospitals (50%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was 0.4%, 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.

Georgia hospitals reported $2.3 billion 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 Grady Memorial Hospital ($279.6 million), Southeastern Regional Medical Center, INC ($141.3 million), Northside Hospital ($135.5 million), Wellstar Kennestone Hospital ($109.9 million), Northeast Georgia Medical Center, INC ($78.6 million).

Georgia ranks 17 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 (50% vs 55%).

Northside Hospital in Atlanta reported the most net patient revenue: $3.3 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 685 beds and an operating margin of -5.4%.

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.