America’s Most Profitable Hospitals

The average American hospital barely breaks even. But some are enormous profit centers. Forbes' first-ever survey of America's most profitable hospitals reveals that some American hospitals make 25 cents or more for every $1 in patient revenue they take in.

Our list, done by the American Hospital Directory, is based on operating income figures that hospitals must report to the federal Medicare program each year. It found that 24 hospitals in the country with over 200 beds make an operating margin of 25% or more. That kind of profit margin compares favorably to drug giants like Pfizer, who are often vilified for charging too much for their drugs. It easily beats the operating profit margin that General Electric reported last year.