How are Maine hospitals doing financially?

21 of 32 Maine hospitals (66%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was -3.0%, 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.

Maine hospitals reported $69.3 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 Maine Medical Center ($20.3 million), Spring Harbor Hospital ($15.1 million), Eastern Maine Medical Center ($9.6 million), St Marys Regional Medical Center ($3.5 million), St Joseph Hospital ($2.9 million).

Maine ranks 27 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 (66% vs 55%).

Maine Medical Center in Portland reported the most net patient revenue: $2.3 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 846 beds and an operating margin of -10.1%.

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.