News Brief: Uncompensated care up 60% in Wisconsin

Wisconsin hospitals have experienced a 60% increase in uncompensated care since 1996, and nearly a quarter of them lost money on patient care in 2001, according to the Wisconsin Health and Hospital Association (WHA).

Uncompensated care costs and shortfalls in payments from the Medicare and Medicaid programs together exceeded $1 billion in 2001, reported the Department of Health and Family Services’ Bureau of Health Information.

The state’s hospitals reported about 565,000 inpatient admissions in 2001, a 2% increase over 2000. Their profit margin on patient care stabilized in 2001, returning to an average 4.5% after dipping to 2.5% in 1999, WHA says.