How are Missouri hospitals doing financially?

65 of 112 Missouri hospitals (58%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was -3.7%, 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.

Missouri hospitals reported $648.6 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 Hospitals & Clinics ($58.9 million), Barnes Jewish Hospital ($54.0 million), Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill ($35.8 million), St John's Mercy Medical Center ($30.8 million), Lester E Cox Medical Centers ($29.1 million).

Missouri ranks 31 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 (58% vs 55%).

Barnes Jewish Hospital in St Louis reported the most net patient revenue: $3.2 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 1,279 beds and an operating margin of -1.6%.

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.