Milwaukee area hospitals provided more than $235 million in charity care last year, according to data recently released by the
Wisconsin Hospital Association.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) describes charity care as care for which hospitals never expected to be reimbursed.
Of the 26 hospitals in the state that provided more than $5 million in charity care in 2022, 13 were located in southeastern Wisconsin. The hospital that provided the most charity care in the entire state was Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee. Located on the city’s southside, the medical center provided more than $70.7 million in charity care. The second highest provider of charity care in the state was the UW Hospital and Clinics Authority in Madison, which provided more than $62.3 million in charity care. Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa provided the third most charity care at $29.56 million.
Milwaukee area hospitals also reported high amounts of bad debt in 2022. A hospital incurs bad debt when it cannot obtain reimbursement for care provided. That happens when patients are unable to pay their bills, but do not apply for charity care, or are unwilling to pay their bills, the AHA states.
Froedtert Hospital reported the highest among of bad debt, which they said totaled more than $57.38 million. Aurora St. Lukes Medical Center reported $27.84 million in bad debt. Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee reported just over $23.48 million in bad debt.
Hospitals statewide anticipate all uncompensated care to increase by about 11% in fiscal year 2023, according to a WHA survey, mainly due to cost increases, increased deductibles in patient insurance plans, and economic conditions.
Charity care by hospital
- Aurora St Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee: $70.73 million
- Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa: $29.56 million
- Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee: $22.65 million
- Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine: $21.29 million
- Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee: $16.26 million
- ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital: $14.22 million
- Froedtert South in Kenosha: $12.78 million
- Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee: $12.28 million
- Aurora West Allis Medical Center: $10.98 million
- Aurora Medical Center Sheboygan County: $6.84 million
- Aurora Lakeland Medical Center in Elkhorn: $6.28 million
- Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital – St. Joseph Campus in Milwaukee: $5.75 million
- Aurora St Luke’s Medical Center – South Shore Cudahy: $5.36 million
Bad debt by hospital
- Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa: $57.38 million
- Aurora St Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee: $27.84 million
- Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee: $23.48 million
- Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine: $14.26 million
- ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital: $14.26 million
- Aurora West Allis Medical Center: $9.1 million
- Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha: $7.88 million
- Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee: $7.8 million
- Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee: $7.45 million
