How are Minnesota hospitals doing financially?

71 of 120 Minnesota hospitals (59%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was -2.5%, 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.

Minnesota hospitals reported $393.9 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 Hennepin County Medical Center ($131.2 million), Mayo Clinic - Saint Marys Hospital ($33.1 million), Regions Hospital ($20.9 million), University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview ($17.1 million), Abbott Northwestern Hospital INC ($16.5 million).

Minnesota ranks 26 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 (59% vs 55%).

Mayo Clinic - Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester reported the most net patient revenue: $3.9 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 1,157 beds and an operating margin of 30.8%.

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.