The Lown Institute Hospitals Index calculated “fair share spending” for more than 1,800 hospitals across 275 nonprofit hospital systems by comparing each system’s spending on charity care and community investment to the value of its tax exemption. More
Two recent studies show the high cost patients face from unnecessary imaging and follow up events. More
In January 2020, Lown Institute released “Eliminating Medication Overload: A National Action Plan.” The National Action Plan provides recommendations for policymakers, foundations, healthcare institutions, clinicians and patients across five key categories. More
Last week, Lown experts Dr. Vikas Saini and Judith Garber were featured in a conversation about the responsibility between hospitals and the community at the 2022 Medicaid Institute, hosted by the Center for Community Solutions. More
How can mortality be reduced by colonoscopies but not by a colonoscopy screening program? We break down the results from the groundbreaking NordICC trial. More
Regardless of tax status, medical centers in markets with high medical debt do provide more charity care, according to an analysis by KHN and the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank. That’s important, said Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a nonprofit that grades hospitals on their quality and community benefits. But he asked: “Is a hospital truly serving its community if it’s pushing so many into debt?” More
Over the past 20 years, private equity investments in the United States healthcare sector have increased twentyfold, reaching above $100 billion. How have these acquisitions changed the business practices of hospitals and other healthcare organizations? This blog is the second in a series the Lown Institute is developing on the effects and implications of private equity acquisitions sweeping the healthcare industry. More
A recent study of hospital financial assistance policies shows how some policies became more generous after Covid-19, some became more restrictive, and some just got weird... More
Through our work with the Lown Institute Hospitals Index, we’ve seen how socially responsible hospitals can be. These top hospitals prioritize equity, while maintaining excellent patient outcomes and avoiding overuse. But not all hospitals have performed well on social responsibility. In fact, the New York Times recently highlighted two nonprofit hospital systems that have gone against their social mission and put profits over patients fair share spending was featured in these articles. Here’s a breakdown of what the Times uncovered. More
According to the Lown Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that recently published its 2022 hospital fair share spending rankings , 83% of hospital systems evaluated spent less on charity care and community investment than the estimated value of their tax breaks — what Lown Institute calls a “fair share deficit.” Mayo Clinic’s fair share deficit is $328 million, the 11th worst in the country. More
'Medication Overload: America’s Other Drug Problem', a report released in 2019 by the Lown Institute, chronicles the epidemic of polypharmacy in the United States. More
Regardless of tax status, medical centers in markets with high medical debt do provide more charity care, according to an analysis by KHN and the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank. That’s important, said Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a nonprofit that grades hospitals on their quality and community benefits. But he asked: “Is a hospital truly serving its community if it’s pushing so many into debt?” More
In recent years, more people, like Keenan and Saini, have questioned whether nonprofit hospitals are contributing enough to their communities to deserve the major tax breaks they get while becoming some of the largest businesses in town. "The hospitals are sort of the pillars of communities, but people are starting to ask these questions," Saini says. More
The Shkreli Awards, named for the infamous “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli, are awarded by the Lown Institute each year to perpetrators of the ten most egregious examples of profiteering and dysfunction in health care. “Winners” are judged by a panel of clinicians, health policy experts, journalists, and patient advocates. More
New research is out on the long-term mental health toll of the Flint water crisis on its residents. What can we learn, and how can we do better? More
Providence also owes some of its wealth to its nonprofit status. In 2019, the latest year available, Providence received roughly $1.2 billion in federal, state and local tax breaks, according to the Lown Institute, a think tank that studies health care.
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Although Bon Secours has taken a financial hit this year like many other hospital systems, the chain made nearly $1 billion in profit last year at its 50 hospitals in the United States and Ireland and was sitting on more than $9 billion in cash reserves. It avoids at least $440 million in federal, state and local taxes every year that it would otherwise have to pay, according to an analysis by the Lown Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. More
Socially responsible hospitals are vital for the health of our communities and deserve to be recognized as models for others to follow. The Lown Hospitals Index is the only national ranking to provide a holistic evaluation of hospital performance across health equity, value, and outcomes. Top grades on the Index represent independent, data-backed recognition of […] More
Mass General Brigham has said it will reduce its total medical spending by $127.8 million annually, nearly doubling its commitment to reduce its spending after months of discussions with a state watchdog agency. The filing is part of the hospital’s “performance improvement plan,” which was required by the state’s Health Policy Commission after what it said were years of spending above acceptable levels.
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