The Lown Institute

Lown Senior Policy Analyst Judith Garber recently testified at the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Democrats roundtable. Check out the video at bit.ly/LownVetsHealth. Great job, Judith!

Which hospital is the most socially responsible in your state? - Lown Institute These are the #1 hospitals in each state, according to the 2025 Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility.

These are the #1 hospitals in each state, according to the 2025 Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility.

lowninstitute.org/which-hospit...

How did the 2025 US News best hospitals perform on the Lown Index? - Lown Institute US News & World Report just released their list of “best hospitals” for 2025-26, which is based primarily on patient outcomes for complex specialty care and common procedures. The Lown Hospitals Index...

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?

lowninstitute.org/how-did-the-...

Financial assistance and collections policies at Missouri hospitals - Lown Institute Findings from a statewide analysis of Missouri hospital policies

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.

lowninstitute.org/projects/fin...

These top critical access hospitals are at risk of closure - Lown Institute See which critical access hospitals made our list of most socially responsible hospitals…and which ones are at risk of shutting down services or closure.

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

lowninstitute.org/these-top-cr...

When hospitals exclude elective care from financial assistance - Lown Institute 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 medic...

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?

lowninstitute.org/when-hospita...

Overuse costs Medicare billions. Will WISeR be the fix we need? - Lown Institute 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 coul...

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

lowninstitute.org/overuse-cost...

CFPB rule to remove medical debt from credit reports blocked in court - Lown Institute 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?

lowninstitute.org/cfpb-rule-to...

“Meeting people where they are”: A conversation with America’s most socially responsible hospitals - Lown Institute Hospital leaders explained how their institutional culture, policies, and workforce help them deliver high-quality and high-value care while still prioritizing equity.

On the latest Lown Institute webinar launch, leaders from some of the exceptional Honor Roll hospitals joined Lown president Dr. Vikas Saini to discuss how they keep focused on their mission, even as they face unique political and financial challenges.

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America's most socially responsible hospitals, 2025 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.

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:
lownhospitalsindex.org/the-most-soc...

REGISTER: America's Most Socially Responsible Hospitals, 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 top hospitals on the 2025 Lown...

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.

us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Truly honored to receive the Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility from the @lowninstitute.org. Dr. Lown's persistence & ability to mobilize the public against injustice are lessons I will carry forward as we continue to fight for a health system centered around our patients. Thank you 🙏🏿

Inspired this evening 🥰 by leaders like Dr. Patty Gabow, who taught us to lead with courage and my two incredible mentees
@trishasantos.bsky.social and Dr. Katie Rizzolo who exemplify courage through their research and policy work! @lowninstitute.org @cudeptofmedicine.bsky.social

REPORT: Hospital financial assistance and debt 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?

🚨 NEW REPORT: Hospital financial assistance + debt collection policies vary widely—even within the same city.

See which hospitals sue patients, how eligibility levels for free care vary, and how your local hospital stacks up:
lownhospitalsindex.org/report-hospi...

PAST DUE: How medical debt is harming Americans and the solutions we need now - Lown Institute This white paper provides an overview of research on prevalence, impact, and drivers of medical debt, as well as an evaluation of potential policies including everything from low-hanging fruit to syst...

Proud to be part of the working group for this important @lowninstitute.org project.

lowninstitute.org/projects/pas...

Medical debt burdens as many as 100 million Americans.

New @lowninstitute.org data shows how hospital charity care + collection policies vary widely—sometimes helping, sometimes hurting patients.

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Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, winner of the 2025 Bernard Lown Award! - Lown Institute Meet Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, the winner of the 2025 Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility!

Meet the winner of the 2025 Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility: @reshmagar.bsky.social!

Learn more about her exceptional work championing fair access to medicines and advocating for health policy that prioritizes the public’s health over private profit.
lowninstitute.org/dr-reshma-ra...

Tackling medical debt in America: Insights from experts and advocates - Lown Institute “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...

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.

Here's what the experts shared.

lowninstitute.org/tackling-med...

These hospitals alone make up nearly 20% of the nation’s fair share deficit, meaning they give back less than they receive. Imagine what they could accomplish by investing more in their communities.

Read the full report: lownhospitalsindex.org/report-makin...

Nonprofit hospitals have the potential to transform their communities—if they invest back as much as they gain from tax breaks.

Read the full report: lownhospitalsindex.org/report-makin...

If nonprofit hospitals put as much into their communities as they benefit from tax exemptions, they could drive meaningful and lasting change.

Read the full report: lownhospitalsindex.org/report-makin...

If every nonprofit hospital invested in their communities the same amount they receive in tax breaks, the impact could be truly transformative.

Read the full report: lownhospitalsindex.org/report-makin...

Medical debt is a big problem in America. Better financial assistance from hospitals can be part of the solution.

Read the full report: lownhospitalsindex.org/report-makin...

California, New York have highest hospital property tax exemptions - Lown Institute Hospitals in 18 states own a total of $170 billion in assessed real property value and benefit from a total of $4.3 billion in real estate tax exemptions. However, this benefit is not spread out equal...

Property taxes are one of the most substantial parts of the hospital tax exemption. See which states have the highest hospital property tax exemptions.

lowninstitute.org/california-n...

We looked at more than 1,800 hospitals across 20 states to find out if hospitals are giving back as much as they take.

Read the full report: lownhospitalsindex.org/report-makin...

Hospitals benefit from billions in property tax exemptions - Lown Institute These 20 hospitals avoided nearly $1 billion in property taxes.

These 20 hospitals avoided nearly $1 billion in property taxes.

lowninstitute.org/hospitals-be...

How hospitals can invest in their communities: Four real-world examples - Lown Institute What types of initiatives are hospitals investing in to improve access to care and community health? We dug into the tax forms for some of the largest fair share surplus hospitals to find out.

What types of initiatives are hospitals investing in to improve access to care and community health? We dug into the tax forms for some of the largest fair share surplus hospitals to find out.

lowninstitute.org/how-hospital...

Great research coming out of the Lown Institute. And Minnesota is one of the states where they did a deep dive! #mnleg

REPORT: Making hospital tax breaks work for communities. How much do hospitals give back to their communities compared to the value of their tax breaks? See how well hospitals did in your state.

NEW REPORT: Nonprofit hospitals receive tax breaks worth billions every year in exchange for providing community benefits, such as financial assistance and community health programs. But are they giving back as much as they take?

Read the report: lownhospitalsindex.org/report-makin...

3 Reasons To Attend the Lown Medical Debt Conference - Lown Institute On May 15, 2025, the Lown Institute will be hosting a one-day, in person conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss the scope, key drivers, and emerging solutions to medical debt in the U.S. Here's why...

We're hosting a one-day, in-person conference with researchers, organizers, state and federal policymakers, and other experts to discuss emerging challenges and opportunities to address medical debt.

Here's why you won't want to miss it.

lowninstitute.org/3-reasons-to...