Power to the People: How a single tweet could reignite a movement
With $8 and 9 words, one internet troll is forcing insulin manufacturers to answer the question of why the drug is so unaffordable More
The “S” in ESG: How hospitals are embracing social responsibility
Which hospitals are walking the talk on social responsibility? A new feature in Frontiers of Health Services Management showcases the Lown Index and winning hospitals. More
Tax exemptions exceed community-benefit spending for nine local hospitals, report finds
Nine city hospitals have spent millions of dollars less on community investments than they receive in tax breaks, according to a report released this week by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit health care think tank. More
NYC Hospitals are falling short in their community investments, report claims
A new report from the Lown Institute—a healthcare think tank—suggests that New York City hospitals have not been holding up their end of the bargain when it comes to local tax breaks and community investment. The study looked at 21 hospitals and found that "nine have a Fair Share deficit—meaning that the value of their community investments fails to equal the value of their federal, state, and local tax breaks." The study found that—in total—the nine hospitals are $727 million short of equaling the $1.2 billion in tax breaks they received in 2019. More
9 New York hospitals fall short on giving back to community by $727M: Lown Institute
Nine New York hospitals out of a study of 21 are failing to invest in their communities in an amount equal to the tax breaks they receive on a federal, state and local level, the Lown Institute reported Nov. 16. The study only examined data from nonprofit hospitals, including nine that are a total of $727 million short of community investments that equal their combined $1.2 billion in tax breaks in 2019. The report dubbed this a "fair share deficit." More
NYC Nonprofit Hospitals Saw High Tax Breaks, Low Community Investments
New York City nonprofit hospitals had a fair share deficit of $727 million in 2019, with nine major facilities spending less on community investments than they received in tax breaks, according to a report from the Lown Institute. In exchange for being exempt from most federal, state, and local taxes, nonprofit hospitals must provide free and discounted care to their communities and invest in community health improvements. More
REPORT: These NYC hospitals took in $727 million more in tax breaks than they gave back to their communities
A new report examining the finances of nonprofit hospitals in New York City finds that some hospitals fall significantly short on expected community investments. More
Are NYC hospitals earning their tax breaks?
A new report examining the finances of nonprofit hospitals in New York City finds that some hospitals fall significantly short on expected community investments. The study includes 21 hospitals and finds that 9 have a Fair Share deficit—meaning that the value of their community investments fails to equal the value of their federal, state, and […] More
1.3 million Americans forced to ration insulin, new study estimates
Skipping doses, intentionally undermedicating, not eating - these are all measures 1.3 million Americans are forced to take to keep their insulin costs down. More
Get ready for the 2022 Shkreli Awards!
The Lown Institute's annual Shkreli Awards highlight the most egregious examples of profiteering and dysfunction in our healthcare system. From systemic failures to negligence to fraud, the Shkreli Awards are here to spotlight the worst. On January 10 at 1 pm ET, we will be counting down the top ten most glaring examples of our broken system, and you're invited! More
Five ways hospitals harm patients that need to stop now
These five events are the administrative equivalent of operating on the wrong limb... More
Drug pricing program spiraling out of control
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
WATCH: What is the responsibility between hospitals and communities?
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
Dallas-Fort Worth racks up medical debt, even as its hospitals thrive
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
Financial assistance policies: The good, the bad, and the bizarre
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
When nonprofit hospitals start acting like for-profits
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
Medical bills can be crippling. Mayo Clinic’s charity care? Arguably lacking
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
Montana health officials aim to boost oversight of nonprofit hospitals’ giving
Few Places Have More Medical Debt Than Dallas-Fort Worth, but Hospitals There Are Thriving
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
Montana health officials call for more oversight of nonprofit hospitals
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