This series represented the culmination of an idea, back in late 2013, to examine how Medicaid expansion was affecting hospital finances. It’s a topic I have closely followed for two years, and in late 2014, I was awarded fellowship funding from the AHCJ to take the reporting and data analysis to the next level. The stories combined original data analysis with on-the-ground reporting in four states. Although some of my findings were counter-intuitive (Medicaid expansion did not appear to have a larger impact on operating margins in states that expanded eligibility for the program), I think I still managed to highlight the nuances in the numbers. I also explored how hospitals were using the additional funds they’re seeing now that their charity care costs are decreasing.
