How are Kansas hospitals doing financially?

117 of 137 Kansas hospitals (85%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was -15.3%, 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.

Kansas hospitals reported $294.4 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 University of Kansas Hospital ($52.2 million), Wesley Medical Center ($51.9 million), Via Christi Hospitals Wichita INC ($45.8 million), Overland Park Regional Center ($19.0 million), Shawnee Mission Medical Center ($18.9 million).

Kansas ranks 49 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 (85% vs 55%).

University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City reported the most net patient revenue: $3.2 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 974 beds and an operating margin of -37.2%.

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.