How are Illinois hospitals doing financially?

102 of 183 Illinois hospitals (56%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was -2.3%, 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.

Illinois hospitals reported $1.2 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 John H Stroger Jr Hospital ($209.9 million), Central Dupage Hospital ($69.9 million), Northwestern Memorial Hospital ($48.4 million), Mt Sinai Hospital Medical Center ($36.6 million), Midwestern Region Med Center ($30.4 million).

Illinois ranks 25 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 (56% vs 55%).

Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago reported the most net patient revenue: $2.8 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 930 beds and an operating margin of -19.8%.

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.