Rural Washington hospitals have seen a dramatic increase in the number of out-of-state residents seeking charity care at their facilities, The Spokesman-Review reported Feb. 17.
Newport (Wash.) Hospital, located near the Idaho border, saw a 43% hike in money spent on charity care from 2024 to 2025, of which nearly half was spent on out-of-state patients.
“Our margins are already very, very thin,” Newport Hospital interim CEO Justin Peters, told the news outlet. “Charity care for our community is one thing, but having people come from other states and providing that charity care really puts a strain on our hospital.”
Other hospitals are seeing similar increases in charity care spending. Spokane-based MultiCare Deaconess spent nearly $2 million more and Spokane-based Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center spent $18 million in 2024 on charity care compared to 2023. Washington as a state has seen a 34% increase in charity care spending in that time frame.
State legislators are proposing a bill that would limit nonemergency charity care to residents of the state. The bill comes amid fears that President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act would further exacerbate insurance premiums, leading to more patients losing insurance and needing charity care.
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