WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. CQC developed the Rhode Island Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard based on recent findings from Axios, the Lown Institute, Patient Rights Advocate, and other credible and respected sources about troubling practices at hospitals in Rhode Island. These practices are at odds with what the public expects from charitable organizations, especially since Rhode Island nonprofit hospitals collectively receive hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks each year.

In response to these troubling findings, Consumers for Quality Care (CQC) released the following statement:

As charitable organizations, Rhode Island’s nonprofit hospitals collect hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks each year. Despite this, many of the state’s nonprofit hospitals are putting profits before their charitable missions. They’re underspending on charity care while overcharging their patients, who often end up saddled with medical debt. Some even have policies allowing them to sue patients who can’t afford to pay. This is not what the public expects from ‘charitable’ entities. These nonprofit hospitals should prioritize their patients’ health and well-being rather than charging sky-high prices and pushing them deep into debt.