Report Finds Less Bad Debt, Unpaid Care in Hospitals in States That Expanded Medicaid Under the ACA
Hospitals in states that have expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act are experiencing sharp declines in the amount of charity care they provide, as well as increases in admissions, according to a Crowe Horwath report. The amount of charity care provided by the end of 2014 in states that expanded their Medicaid programs had declined to 1.7% of their revenues, while bad debt in the states also declined from 2.5% to 2.3% over the same time period. In comparison, non-expansion states experienced increases in charity care provided, rising to 3.3% of revenue, and bad debt, rising to 2.6%.
- "Affordable Care Act's Benefits for Hospitals Aren't Yet Clear" (Kutscher, Modern Healthcare, 2/27).