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Saturday, June 1, 8:00PM -
Saturday, June 15, 8:00PM -
UPDATES
- N.C. Attorney General Cooper says he’ll push for tighter controls on hospitals
- Senator: Hospitals profited on drugs for poor, uninsured
- Bill would take mystery out of N.C. hospital prices
- Lawmakers: Surgery centers would provide alternative to high hospital bills
- Compensation jumps for Charlotte's top hospital executives
- Blue Cross wins round in dispute over duplicate billings
- Lawsuits by local hospital chain drop sharply
- Hospitals probed on use of drug discounts
- N.C. Attorney General eyes 'artificial' hospital pricing
- Blue Cross ads target hospital billing
- Blue Cross battles N.C. hospitals over ‘wasteful’ radiology charges
- Officials: Taxpayers need say on CHS
- Poll: Most in N.C. oppose hospital liens
- Gov. Perdue: Simplify medical bills, aid
- Stop suing patients, NAACP tells Carolinas HealthCare System
- Senator to hospitals: Do more
- Readers react to investigation into hospital profits
- N.C. association: Hospitals are addressing issues
- Tarwater: CHS navigating complex sea of change
Nonprofit hospitals thrive on profits
Hospitals in the Charlotte region are among the most profitable in the U.S. They have billions in investments and real estate. Experts say they should do more to lower patients’ rising costs.
Rachael Shehan has no health insurance and virtually no income. But when serious respiratory problems strike, her hospital has never provided financial help, she said.
Joyce Jones had no job and a bare-bones health insurance policy. A social worker at Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy told her the hospital had a fund to help patients like her. Jones thought the hospital was taking care of the cost. But soon after her two-week stay, she received a bill for $34,000. In 2006, the hospital sued her and put a lien on her small west Charlotte home.
Last year, state Rep. Dale Folwell took aim at a substantial tax benefit for North Carolina’s nonprofit hospitals: their refund on sales taxes, which averages about $200 million yearly.
In Washington state, hospitals must provide free or discounted care to indigent patients – and report to the state how much they spend to provide that treatment. No such laws protect North Carolina’s patients.
Large nonprofit hospitals in North Carolina are dramatically inflating prices on chemotherapy drugs at a time when they are cornering more of the market on cancer care, an investigation by the Observer and The News & Observer of Raleigh has found.
North Carolina patients are likely to pay more for routine health care if their doctors are employed by a hospital, an investigation by the Observer and the News & Observer of Raleigh has found.
Hospitals in the Charlotte region are among the most profitable in the U.S. They have billions in investments and real estate. Experts say they should do more to lower patients’ rising costs.
By Ames Alexander, Karen Garloch & Joseph Neff
Nonprofit hospitals in the Charlotte region are respected community institutions. They save lives, heal the sick and provide good jobs.
At the same time, most of them are stockpiling a fortune.
Their profits have risen along with their prices. Top executives are paid millions as their hospitals expand, buy expensive technology and build aggressively.
DAY ONE - APRIL 21, 2012
- WHY PRICES RISE: Why do patients’ costs keep rising?
- MYSTERIES OF YOUR BILL: Hospital charges defy comparison shopping
- CHS EVOLUTION: Public hospital with private attitude
- TRACIE POTEE: Surgery bills ruin her credit
- AUGUST MAY: Insured, but deep in debt
- CLEVELAND DAVIS: Hospital sues veteran for almost $200,000
- CHART: Hospital profit margins
- How we reported this series
- EDITORIAL: Money over mission
- RESPONSE: Carolinas Healthcare System's response
DAY TWO - APRIL 22, 2012
Most N.C. hospitals are slim on charity careRachael Shehan has no health insurance and virtually no income. But when serious respiratory problems strike, her hospital has never provided financial help, she said.
- MOST GENEROUS: Thomasville Medical Center makes a mark
- PAPERWORK HURDLE: Proving need isn’t easy for patients
- NONPROFIT BENEFITS: Tax breaks save nonprofit hospitals millions
- DETAILS ON CHARITY: How a hospital profits on a charity case
- Carolinas HealthCare's charitable spending is above average, but so are its profits
- SLIDESHOW: Images from the series
- How we reported this series
- RESPONSE: Carolinas Healthcare System's response
DAY THREE - APRIL 23, 2012
Hospital suits force new pain on patientsJoyce Jones had no job and a bare-bones health insurance policy. A social worker at Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy told her the hospital had a fund to help patients like her. Jones thought the hospital was taking care of the cost. But soon after her two-week stay, she received a bill for $34,000. In 2006, the hospital sued her and put a lien on her small west Charlotte home.
- GETTING TOUGH: Iredell hospital sues patient with no job, insurance
- WAGES VULNERABLE: Hospitals can seize wages
- COLLECTION HEADACHES: Aggressive collections not unique to Charlotte
- NEW WAY TO PAY: A new credit card, but watch the rising interest
- RULES ELSEWHERE: 14 states regulate collections; not N.C.
- SLIDESHOW: Images from the series
- CHART: Comparing hospitals costs
- How we reported this series
- SHOPPING AROUND: The patient as customer
- TIPS: Handling hospital bills
DAY FOUR - APRIL 24, 2012
Hospitals’ clout in capital built with money, contactsLast year, state Rep. Dale Folwell took aim at a substantial tax benefit for North Carolina’s nonprofit hospitals: their refund on sales taxes, which averages about $200 million yearly.
- BYPASSING COUNTY: Hospital gets legislators’ help
- N.C. REGULATIONS: N.C. does little to protect patients
- INMATE CARE: Hospitals get their way on inmate care
- SLIDESHOW: Images from the series
DAY FIVE - APRIL 25, 2012
Experts: hospitals need scrutinyIn Washington state, hospitals must provide free or discounted care to indigent patients – and report to the state how much they spend to provide that treatment. No such laws protect North Carolina’s patients.
- MORE ON THE SERIES: Meet the reporters
- SLIDESHOW: Images from the series
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 24, 2012
Prices soar as hospitals dominate cancer marketLarge nonprofit hospitals in North Carolina are dramatically inflating prices on chemotherapy drugs at a time when they are cornering more of the market on cancer care, an investigation by the Observer and The News & Observer of Raleigh has found.
UPDATE MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012
As doctors flock to hospitals, bills spike for patients
North Carolina patients are likely to pay more for routine health care if their doctors are employed by a hospital, an investigation by the Observer and the News & Observer of Raleigh has found.
