The Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center has released its annual Guide to Wisconsin Hospitals for fiscal year 2024. The report shows that hospitals and health systems across the state saw a slight financial rebound after several challenging years.
Health system operating margins improved to 2.2% in 2024, up from a negative 0.8% in 2023, though still well below pre-pandemic levels.
Despite the modest recovery, 60 hospitals reported lower margins than the year before, and 41 hospitals — about one in four statewide — operated at a loss. Among Wisconsin’s 80 safety-net hospitals, 17 ended the year in the red.
Rising costs continue to strain budgets. Supply and service costs are up 11% since 2022, and salary and benefit expenses rose 10%, driven largely by ongoing workforce shortages.
Emergency room visits also increased, with more than 2.4 million visits in 2024, a 5.4% rise from 2022.