Wash. Hospitals’ Charity Costs Plunge as Obamacare Kicks In

Hospitals in Washington state provided nearly $154-million less in charity treatment in the first half of 2014 than during the same time last year, a 30 percent decline medical centers attributed to the reduction in uninsured patients under the Affordable Care Act, The Seattle Times reports. About 600,000 Washington residents have signed up for subsidized private insurance or qualified for Medicaid under broader eligibility guidelines since the health law took effect last year.

The drop in charity care, according to unaudited, preliminary figures from the Washington State Hospital Association, contributed to improved margins for nonprofit medical facilities, which reported that revenues exceeded costs by $720-million in the first six months of the year, compared to $435 million for the same period in 2013.