Which States Have the Most For-Profit Hospitals?

Of the 7,000 hospitals across the U.S., 1,288 are registered as investor owned.

While for-profit and not-for-profit share similarities in how they operate, some of the main differences between these organizations can be found in how they pay taxes and raise money.

Not-for-profit healthcare providers don’t pay property and income tax, according to the CT Mirror, unlike their for-profit counterparts, who also have access to greater resources for raising money. For-profit hospitals also have a responsibility to the investors who fund their operations, fewer profits mean fewer investments.

Of the nearly 7,000 hospitals across the U.S., 1,228 of these are registered as investor-owned facilities, according to data from NiceRX, an organization that works with providers to ensure patients have access to low-cost medications.

"Not only is the healthcare industry important for the well-being of U.S. citizens, but it’s also a lucrative business for investors," NiceRX said in its report. "That’s why we wanted to find out which states earn the most money through their hospitals. We’ve looked at the individual hospitals earning the most through net patient revenue, the states with the most for-profit hospitals, and the states who earn the most through their hospitals."

NiceRx took a deep dive into the healthcare industry’s financials per state and created a list of the top 10 states with the highest percentage of for-profit hospitals.

1. Nevada: 54.3% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.
2. Texas: 51.8% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.
3. Florida: 48.1% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.
4. New Mexico: 42.9% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.
5. Arizona: 42% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.
6. Tennessee: 40.5% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.
7. Louisiana: 40.3% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.
8. Oklahoma: 40.2% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.
9. Alabama: 32.7% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.
10. Utah: 32.1% of hospitals in the state are for-profit.