Hospital Spotlight: Denver Health
The Lown Institute has launched a new blog series spotlighting socially responsible hospitals across the nation. For the inaugural piece, the spotlight is on Denver Health. More
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Price caps, spending floors, and penalties, oh my! The latest in state hospital policy
Hospitals have recently come under the spotlight for high prices and inadequate community benefit spending-- and now state policymakers are taking action. Here's an update on what's going on in the state hospital policy space. More
Priorities on the Board: Board member backgrounds and hospital social responsibility
A recent report revealed a plurality of hospital board members come from the Financial sector. How does this impact hospital community benefit spending and social responsibility? More
New FDA guidelines on breast density notifications and implications for overuse
The FDA just updated guidelines to require mammography facilities to notify patients about their breast density. How will this impact overdiagnosis and overtreatment? More
20 hospitals with smallest CEO-to-worker pay ratios
CEO pay at large has been a target of criticism by workers in recent months, including physicians and travel nurses, and the issue has surfaced as healthcare professionals negotiate their own pay. Amid this criticism, Lown Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, has measured hospitals' and health systems' social responsibility via 53 metrics related to inclusivity, pay equity, community benefit, care value and outcomes. More
Report: NY Hospitals Putting Profits Before Patients
A bill to begin holding nonprofit hospitals accountable was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. Additional information from the Lown Institute Hospital's Index found New York hospitals have a "fair share deficit" of more than $1.6 billion, by taking in tax breaks far more than what they spent on community benefits and charity care for low-income patients. More
“Eye-popping” executive salaries led these hospitals to lose their property tax benefits
A Pennsylvania appellate court recently denied property tax exemptions to four nonprofit hospitals because they were operating more like for-profits. Could other hospitals be next? More
After decades of profiteering, insulin manufacturer finally cuts the price
Insulin manufacturer Eli Lilly announced that it would be cutting the list price of its generic insulin products significantly. This move comes after decades of advocacy work by patients and clinicians alike, including our sister organization the Right Care Alliance. What does this tell us about the drug pricing landscape? More
Black Blood and a Black Crayon: The fight for desegregating blood donations
Dr. Charles Drew revolutionized blood donations...yet racist policies prevented him from participating in the very programs he had created. More
LISTEN: What should we expect from tax-exempt hospitals?
Earlier this month, Lown experts Dr. Vikas Saini and Judith Garber were featured on the Relentless Health Value podcast to talk about financial assistance, fair share spending, and why America needs a socially responsible healthcare system. More
Top 15 Hospitals with Grade “A” Billing Practices
According to the Lown Institute, there are 15 hospitals that all received “A” grades from the organization in social responsibility for their patients and that have policies disallowing egregious billing practices. More
Black Maternal Health in American History
A new study found that the Black maternal mortality gap exists regardless of income. Where did this start, and how are we fixing it? More
The Growing Problem of Medication Overload
As a consequence, older Americans are particularly susceptible to polypharmacy. "Multiple medications can be beneficial for some patients," says Judith Garber, a senior policy analyst at the Lown Institute. Nevertheless, research shows that each additional medication raises a person's risk of suffering an adverse drug event by 7 to 10%. More
Opinion: Nonprofit hospitals owe affordable, quality care to Illinoisans
In fact, the Lown Institute Hospitals Index found that hospitals in Illinois have a “fair share deficit” of $1.244 billion dollars in aggregate. In other words, nonprofit hospitals in Illinois received a whopping $1.244 billion more in tax breaks than they spent on charity care for low-income patients and community benefits. More
PRESS RELEASE: Lown Institute welcomes Kern, Robinson, Rogers to board
Meet the new Lown Institute board members! More
Which hospitals are suing patients? Investigation reveals hospital billing practices
An investigation from Kaiser Health News shows that a large proportion of hospitals engage in aggressive practices to recoup medical debt. Is your hospital one of them? More
Podcast: Spoiler Alert: It Is Counterintuitive Which Hospitals Offer the Most Charity Care
Join host Stacey Richter as she interviews Lown experts Dr. Vikas Saini and Judith Garber on the surprising reality of hospital charity care spending. More
Hospitals pushing back on community benefit oversight
Hospitals are starting to be held accountable for their community benefit spending -- how are they responding? We explore some cases in recent news. More
The Intersection of Black History, Queer Studies, and Medicine
To understand the impacts of social determinants of health, bioethics, and the history of this country, one must also understand the overlap of intersectional identities. More
Fauquier Hospital offers less financial help to patients than other hospitals in Virginia, U.S.
“It's not uncommon for Medicaid expansion to result in a reduction in charity care spending, but that doesn't mean it's justified,” said Aaron Toleos, vice president of communications for the Lown Institute. For example, Fauquier Hospital could consider expanding its financial-aid policy to include more people struggling to pay their hospital bills or even funnel money that had been used for charity care into programs to address homelessness, food insecurity or addiction treatment, Toleos said. More