Hospital CEO pay in Massachusetts over four years: Whose pay increased the most?
How has CEO compensation for large hospital systems in Massachusetts changed over the past few years? We took a look at the latest data to find out. More
How long does it take to book a new patient appointment with a primary care doc in greater Boston? We called to find out.
We called 86 hospitals and primary care offices to see how long it would take to get a new patient appointment. Here's what we found. More
Physicians who perform the most unnecessary back surgeries—what we know
Our recent report found that more than 200,000 unnecessary back surgeries took place over a three year period, costing Medicare more than $1.9 billion. But what about the physicians responsible for this overuse? More
These fifteen hospitals prove that avoiding unnecessary back surgery is possible
These hospitals are bucking the trend of back surgery overuse with rates below 5% for both spinal fusion and vertebroplasty. More
“We are up against an enormous financial juggernaut”: Experts discuss back surgery overuse at Lown event
Watch the video recording and see our key takeaways from the latest Lown Institute event on back surgery overuse. More
PRESS RELEASE: Older adults get unnecessary back surgeries at an alarming rate
Patients face serious risk of complications; billions in Medicare dollars wasted More
Why private equity growth matters for veterans’ health
How is the growth of private equity acquisitions in healthcare impacting veterans? At a roundtable event hosted by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, researchers and policy experts discussed the drivers and consequences of these acquisitions going unchecked. Watch the event recording! More
Checking in on medical overuse in America
As we prepare for the launch of our 2025 report on unnecessary back surgery, let’s take a moment to check in on the current state of medical overuse in America. More
How did the 2025 US News best hospitals perform on the Lown Index?
US News & World Report just released their list of “best hospitals” for 2025-26, which is based primarily on patient outcomes for complex specialty care and common procedures. The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility takes a different approach to hospital ranking, evaluating hospitals on metrics of equity and value as well as outcomes. Here's how the 2025 US News best hospitals perform on the Lown Index. More
These top critical access hospitals are at risk of closure
See which critical access hospitals made our list of most socially responsible hospitals…and which ones are at risk of shutting down services or closure. More
When hospitals exclude elective care from financial assistance
Hospitals have a lot of leeway to decide who is eligible for financial assistance. In some cases, hospitals don't allow any elective care to be eligible. What impact could that have on health or medical debt? More
PRESS RELEASE: Top hospitals in American named by the Lown Institute
125 “socially responsible” hospitals earn Honor Roll status for outcomes, value, and equity BOSTON—More than 100 U.S. hospitals achieved top performance across measures of equity, value, and outcomes, according to the 2025 Lown Hospitals Index. Despite workforce shortages, rising costs, looming Medicaid cuts, and other challenges, Lown Institute analysts say this year’s Honor Roll demonstrates […] More
REGISTER: America’s Most Socially Responsible Hospitals, 2025
Register now for the webinar "America's Most Socially Responsible Hospitals" on June 25, 2025. More
PRESS RELEASE: Inconsistent Hospital Policies Put Patients at Greater Risk of Medical Debt
Analysis of 2,500 charity care policies finds patients with identical income and medical needs could receive free care at one hospital, yet face collections or lawsuits at another. More
California, New York have highest hospital property tax exemptions
Hospitals in 18 states own a total of $170 billion in assessed real property value and benefit from a total of $4.3 billion in real estate tax exemptions. However, this benefit is not spread out equally among states. More
Hospitals benefit from billions in property tax exemptions
These 20 hospitals avoided nearly $1 billion in property taxes. More
How hospitals can invest in their communities: Four real-world examples
What types of initiatives are hospitals investing in to improve access to care and community health? We dug into the tax forms for some of the largest fair share surplus hospitals to find out. 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
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
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