Minnesota Attorney General says, “Hold on, Mayo!”
A recent investigation of the Mayo Clinic by the state AG found that the hospital put up barriers to financial assistance. More
3 Reasons To Attend the Lown Medical Debt Conference
On May 15, 2025, the Lown Institute will be hosting a one-day, in person conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss the scope, key drivers, and emerging solutions to medical debt in the U.S. Here's why you won't want to miss this event. More
Communities most in need get fewest community benefit dollars from hospitals, study says
A new study in JAMA Health Forum finds that certain communities receive much less community benefit spending from hospitals than others. More
Healthcare corporations spent trillions of dollars on payouts to shareholders, study finds.
It’s well known that America spends more and gets less for its health care dollar than peer countries, and has for a while. Where does all the money go? A recent research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine shows how much of healthcare industry profits are directed to corporate shareholders. More
5 Things Every Patient Should Know About Hospital Financial Assistance
While many hospitals offer financial aid, millions of eligible patients never apply - often because they don't realize help is available. Here are five things every patient should know about hospital financial assistance programs. More
Republicans are proposing radical healthcare cuts. How could hospitals be affected?
A wish list of program cuts being circulated by House Republicans includes proposals that target the healthcare system. Here are some of the proposed cuts and the potential repercussions for hospitals. More
Private equity hospitals in the news
Early 2025 updates on private equity and hospitals, including new state legislation and another system bankruptcy. More
“The benefits are huge”: Deprescribing in home health care
Medication overload—adverse events caused by too many medications—harms millions of older adults in the U.S. every year. Read more about how one innovate program in Rochester, NY, is showing how deprescribing can help eliminate medication overload in the home health setting. More
Hospital financial assistance policies have changed, but not always for the better
Amid increased scrutiny on hospital billing and collections practices, one might expect hospitals to make their financial assistance policies more generous. However, these changes are not always for the better, a new study finds. More
2024 Shkreli Awards: Dishonorable Mentions
We recently revealed the winners of the 8th Annual Shkreli Awards, our top ten list of the most egregious examples of healthcare profiteering and dysfunction each year. But there are many, many more examples of the ways our healthcare system is broken. Presenting the Shkreli Awards Dishonorable Mentions! These nominees fell just shy of making […] More
PRESS RELEASE: Shkreli Awards catalog 2024’s worst actors in healthcare
A top ten list of the most egregious examples of profiteering and dysfunction in healthcare. More
GLOBE OP-ED: Lown president reacts to killing of United Health CEO
The killing of United Health CEO Brian Thompson triggered an uproar from the many Americans frustrated with the failures of our health care system. In a recent op-ed in the Boston Globe, Lown president Dr. Vikas Saini shares his take on this important moment and the changes we need to build a radically better health […] More
AMA votes for stronger financial assistance standards
Physicians and medical students of the AMA recently voted in favor of stronger financial assistance standards. Why are stronger standards needed, and how could this help relieve medical debt for patients? More
Five ways to reduce back surgery overuse
The Lown Institute released new data on unnecessary back surgeries in Medicare, identifying 200,000 low-value procedures and $2 billion in Medicare dollars wasted over three years. Back surgery overuse varies widely among states, hospitals, and even doctors in the same hospital. We brought together Dr. Sohail Mirza, orthopedic surgeon and professor at Dartmouth College, and […] More
PRESS RELEASE: Unnecessary back surgeries cost Medicare up to $600 million annually
Every eight minutes an unnecessary back surgery is performed, costing Medicare $2 billion over the three years studied. More
Do patients in Medicare Advantage plans get better value of care? Yes and no…
Which Medicare Advantage plans do a good job at avoiding overuse for their beneficiaries... and which don't? More
When the hospitals we need the most are the least likely to succeed
Safety net hospitals across the country are facing downgraded services and closures. Meanwhile, more profitable hospitals within the same systems are expanding and growing bigger than ever. Where is this pattern showing up, and how does it impact patients? More
The downsides to breast density notifications
A new rule from the US Food and Drug Administration just went into effect last month, requiring that mammography providers notify patients about their breast density along with their mammogram results. How does this affect patients? More
Hospital community benefit: Five takeaways from our DC summit
Our key takeaways from the recent conference on hospital tax exemptions and community benefit spending, cohosted by the Lown Institute and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. More
Black mothers more likely to get unnecessary C-sections, study says
Are Black mothers more likely to have unscheduled C-sections? A new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests yes–and that their likelihood of an unscheduled C-section was greater when there were operating rooms going unused. Same hospital, different c-section rates While C-sections can be a lifesaving option when necessary, they are invasive […] More