Smaller CT hospitals struggle with deficits

Eight of Connecticut's 30 acute-care hospitals ended the last fiscal year in the red—double the number that reported financial losses the year before—according to a new state report. The data filed with the state Office of Health Care Access (OHCA) is a mixed bag of news about the financial health of the state's hospitals. It shows that only six hospitals had operating losses in the 2011 fiscal year in contrast with nine that did not break even on operations in 2010. But when non-operating gains and losses are included, eight had negative total margins, or deficits. Overall, the financial report shows that 73 percent of Connecticut hospitals achieved a positive total margin in FY 2011—down from 87 percent in the previous year.