Report finds Hartford Hospital got $78 million more in tax breaks than they invested in communities, 2020
In 2020, Hartford Hospital received $78 million more in tax breaks than they paid out in charity care and community investment, their “fair share” deficit, according to a new Lown Institute report. Hartford has the 19th largest deficit among the 1,773 US hospitals included in the study. According to the report, that $78 million could cover the medical debt of 55,690 Connecticut residents. Hartford Hospital also received $92 million in government COVID funding and made $67 million in profits that year, according to the report.
No other Connecticut hospitals were on the worst 25 list, but neither were any on the best 25 list – spending the most on charity care and community investment compared to tax breaks.
Eighteen Connecticut hospitals got more in tax breaks then they paid out in charity care and community investments, according to the report. The cumulative fair share deficit for those hospitals could have covered the medical debt for 240,612 people in our state, or 69% of Connecticut debtors. Nationally, 77% of hospitals spent less on charity care than they got in breaks from taxpayers.