Wisconsin Hospital Association says economy is taking a toll

The economic downturn is hitting hospitals to a degree not seen in past recessions, according to survey by the Wisconsin Hospital Association. The survey of about 85 hospitals for the first nine months of this year found that charity care increased 19.1%, bad debt increased 19.6%, and nearly one-third of the hospitals had trouble raising money. The survey was done in November and compared the first nine months of this year with the same period in 2007.