Lown Institute

08/21/2025

US News & World Report just released their list of “best hospitals” for 2025-26. How did these hospitals do on the Lown Index for Social Responsibility, which takes equity and value into accounts as well as outcomes?

https://lowninstitute.org/how-did-the-2025-us-news-best-hospitals-perform-on-the-lown-index/

08/20/2025

In our latest report, we review the financial assistance practices of 163 hospitals across the state of Missouri, uncovering major differences in who qualifies, how aid is offered, and how debt is collected.

https://lowninstitute.org/projects/financial-assistance-and-collections-policies-at-missouri-hospitals/

07/30/2025

See which critical access hospitals made our list of socially responsible hospitals…and which ones are at risk of shutting down services or closure.

https://lowninstitute.org/these-top-critical-access-hospitals-are-at-risk-of-closure/

07/23/2025

Can we reduce healthcare waste while making Americans healthier? A new Medicare pilot program that uses AI is trying to do just that. Here’s what’s promising about the program, and which elements could use rethinking.

Can we reduce healthcare waste while making Americans healthier? A new Medicare pilot program that uses AI is trying to do just that. Here’s what’s promising about the program, and which elements could use rethinking.

07/22/2025

A federal judge recently struck down a rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) seeking to remove medical debt from credit reports. How will this affect medical debt in the future?

A federal judge recently struck down a rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) seeking to remove medical debt from credit reports. How will this affect medical debt in the future?

07/21/2025

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?

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?

06/24/2025

NEW: The 2025 Lown Institute Hospitals Index is out!

Out of more than 2,700 acute care hospitals, 125 achieved “A” grades on equity, value, and outcomes, earning a place on the Lown Index Honor Roll.

Find out how your hospital performed:

Out of 2,700 acute care hospitals nationwide, 125 are recognized as “Honor Roll” hospitals for achieving the highest scores on measures of equity, value, and outcomes.

06/24/2025

Join us *TODAY AT 1PM* as we reveal the results of the 2025 Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility rankings:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_56nn5sbURzWQWlBVKAj_Ng #/registration

06/19/2025

As hospitals navigate workforce shortages, rising costs, and looming Medicaid cuts, delivering equitable, high-value care has never been harder.

Join us as we reveal the results of the 2025 Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility rankings:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_56nn5sbURzWQWlBVKAj_Ng #/registration

06/04/2025

🚨 NEW REPORT on hospital financial assistance and debt collection practices!

Read our report to find out:

-How eligibility levels for free care vary widely, even among hospitals within the same cities
-Which hospitals allow extraordinary collection actions, like lawsuits or garnishing wages, to collect medical debt
-How your local hospital compares to others on financial assistance and collection policies

Hospitals set their own rules for who they offer discounted care, and the actions they can take to collect medical debt. How does your hospital compare?

06/04/2025

“In a profit-driven healthcare system that pits payers and providers against each other, patients are often caught in the middle, exposing them to high out-of-pocket costs.” - Lown Institute

05/22/2025

On May 15th in Washington, DC, the Lown Institute brought together advocates, researchers, and hospital leadership to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing the American healthcare system: Medical debt.

“We’re all here because this issue is a moral stain on the fabric of the country… We’re also here because if we want to fix this, we can," Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, told the crowd.

Here's what the experts shared.

“We’re all here because this issue is a moral stain on the fabric of the country… We’re also here because if we want to fix this, we can," Dr. Vikas Saini told the crowd at the 2025 Lown conference on Medical Debt in America.