Some Florida nonprofit hospitals aren’t using their tax breaks the way they’re expected
Saini said there isn’t a clear pattern between which hospitals choose to give back and which don’t. In fact, they often coexist. “In any given city, you can often find two hospitals — one of which is in a surplus and one of which is in a deficit,” he clarified. “So it really seems that we have a tale of two hospitals in our health care.” More
New York hospitals’ tax breaks exceed how much they spend on community benefits
New York’s nonprofit hospital sector receives tax breaks worth more than $2 billion each year, with the expectation that they’ll provide free services and invest in their communities. But dozens are falling short on community benefit spending, a new report shows. More
Report says nonprofit hospitals don’t earn their tax breaks. Endeavor pushes back.
The annual calculations by the Lown Institute call into question whether the value a nonprofit community hospital gives to communities lives up to the taxes it doesn't have to pay. More
Des Moines hospitals top Iowa’s “fair share” charity deficit list
Two major Des Moines hospitals fell $70 million short on community support despite tax breaks, according to a report released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Lown Institute. Why it matters: The gap raises questions about whether tax breaks are doing their job — and whether vulnerable Iowans are paying the price. More
Many Illinois hospitals receive tax exemptions, but how much do they help their communities? New report takes a look.
Mount Sinai Hospital ranks the fourth highest among hospitals across 20 states for spending far more money on charity care and helping its community than what it saves through tax exemptions, according to a new report from the Lown Institute. The West Side hospital spent an average of $78 million more a year on charity care and investing in its community than it saved from tax exemptions given to not-for-profit hospitals, between 2020 and 2022, according to the report from Lown, a Massachusetts-based think tank. More
3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Medical Debt
Unlike other forms of debt, medical debt is extremely hard to avoid; nobody chooses to get sick, have an accident, or need emergency care. If you’re worried about medical debt, here are three ways you can help reduce your risk of debt. More
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
Pay starts flowing when nonprofit CEOs leave the job
“If we’re really going to grapple with the problems of health care, which are so expensive, unaffordable, driving medical debt — all the things that everybody knows about and are problematic — I think this is a moment to rethink some of that and ask: can we have more transparency?" Saini said. “Can we really try to understand what the hell is going on, how the money is flowing?”
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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
Another year, another round of Shkreli awards
The Lown institute keeps an eye on fraud, waste, and dysfunction in American healthcare, and every year they present the Shkreli awards, named for infamous pharmabro Martin Shkreli. Here we summarize the top 10 terrible operators of 2024. More
Health companies return $2.6 trillion to shareholders over time amid rising medical costs
"The whole idea that that there's a functioning market is a fantasy," Saini said "Given that fact, the way money flows is not at all rational, and that's why we get what we get in terms of the prices of everything." 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
Meet the Shkreli Award “Winners”
From selling deceased patients' body parts to denying cancer treatment over upfront payments, the Lown Institute's annual Shkreli Awards spotlight the most egregious examples of profiteering and dysfunction in American healthcare. Dr. Vikas Saini, President of the Lown Institute, walks us through 2024's "winners" and what they reveal about the state of our healthcare system. 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
How to find free or discounted health care at Minnesota hospitals
The Lown Institute, a Boston-based group that evaluates hospitals on their community investments, said patients can learn about charity care programs simply by calling up an online search engine, entering the name of a medical center and typing the phrase “financial assistance policy.” That’s usually faster than clicking through the hospital’s website, said Judith Garber, a senior policy analyst with Lown. “It will indicate the thresholds for accessing free and discounted care, usually based on family size and income,” Garber said via email.
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Podcast: The ‘Shkreli Awards’ — for dysfunction and profiteering in health care
We’re bringing you highlights from this year’s ceremony – featuring things like human bones for sale without the consent of the deceased or their families, phantom urinary catheters, and so much more – and some reflections from the Lown Institute’s president, Dr. Vikas Saini. “Showing all these stories together paints a picture of a health care system in desperate need of transformation,” Saini said at the ceremony. “Not just because the stories are shocking, but because often what they're depicting, like Martin Shkreli's infamous price hike, is perfectly legal.” More