How are Utah hospitals doing financially?

9 of 49 Utah hospitals (18%) reported a loss on patient care in their latest full-year Medicare cost report, compared with 55% nationwide. The median operating margin was 9.7%, 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.

Utah hospitals reported $292.3 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 University Health Care/Univ Hospitals and Clinics ($58.6 million), Lds Hospital ($46.2 million), St. George Regional Hospital ($20.5 million), Utah Valley Regional Medical Center ($18.4 million), Jordan Valley Medical Center ($17.1 million).

Utah ranks 1 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 (18% vs 55%).

University Health Care/Univ Hospitals and Clinics in Salt Lake City reported the most net patient revenue: $3.6 billion in its latest full-year cost report, with 757 beds and an operating margin of 3.4%.

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.