The cost of providing hospital care to low-income people in Minnesota rose by more than 27 percent in 2010, reported the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
According to data from the Minnesota Hospital Association, 135 of the state's 148 hospitals spent $226 million on charity care during 2010. Meanwhile, the cost of treating Medicaid enrollees rose 13 percent to nearly $499 million due to lower reimbursements from the federal government.
Altogether, Minnesota's hospitals contributed $2.3 billion to their communities, up 8 percent from the previous year. That figure includes charity care, uncompensated care, residency training for physicians, research and community programs.
However, the state's hospitals continue to operate in the black, with a 3.2 percent profit margin. Facilities in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region had a margin of 6.5 percent, one of the highest in years.
To learn more:
- read the Star-Tribune article
- read the MHA press release