Time to consider taxing nonprofit colleges, universities and hospitals

Abstract: The data to support these criticisms has been cataloged and quantified by the Lown Institute, a nonpartisan think tank interested in “bold ideas for a just and caring system for health.” It’s abundantly clear that “nonprofit” is now a misnomer when referring to hospitals. The fair share deficit — the disparity between what a hospital provides its community and what it receives from the American taxpayer — reached an all-time high of $25.7 billion in 2024. Yet fully 80% of “no-profit” hospitals claimed to be “in the red.