How are Indiana hospitals doing financially?

69 of 145 Indiana hospitals (48%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was 0.7%, 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.

Indiana hospitals reported $524.3 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 Clarian Health Partners ($82.9 million), Eskenazi Health ($52.8 million), St Vincent Hospital & Health Services ($28.0 million), Deaconess Hospital INC ($19.1 million), Parkview Hospital ($16.9 million).

Indiana ranks 16 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 (48% vs 55%).

Clarian Health Partners in Indianapolis reported the most net patient revenue: $4.2 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 1,276 beds and an operating margin of -34.0%.

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.