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Welcome to the Center for Health Information and Analysis website. Our mission is to monitor the Massachusetts health care system and to provide reliable information and meaningful analysis for those seeking to improve health care quality, affordability, access, and outcomes.

What is Relative Price?

CHIA presents an interactive presentation on Relative Price and it's importance in the Massachusetts health care system.

(Instructions on how to play: Open the file in PowerPoint. Select the Slide Show tab and then click From Beginning. The narration will begin automatically.)  

Recent Reports

Massachusetts Acute Hospital Financial Performance Report for Fiscal Year 2012 

The Fiscal Year 2012, Acute Hospital Financial Performance report provides a statewide analysis of acute hospitals’ financial data. The report examines hospital profitability, liquidity, and capital structure ratios in order to monitor the financial status of acute hospitals. Presented are industry analyses and comparisons of financial performance trends of different hospital cohorts: teaching, community, Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) and Non-Disproportionate Share Hospitals (Non-DSH).

Key Findings for Fiscal Year 2012:

  • Overall, Massachusetts acute hospital financial performance improved from FY11 to FY12.
  • The median total margin increased from 2.1% in FY11 to 3.8% in FY12. Most hospitals reported profitable financial performance in FY12.
  • Operating Margins increased for most hospitals. A contributing factor to overall profitability may be the result of enhanced Medicare payments due to the rural floor rule. In FY12, Nantucket Cottage Hospital began participating in Medicare’s Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) as a rural hospital, which led to an increase in Medicare inpatient payments for Massachusetts’ urban hospitals.