Hawai'i's hospitals continued to struggle financially last year, racking up $150 million in operating losses because of shortfalls in Medicare and Medicaid payments along with mounting charity care and bad debt.

A study done by Ernst & Young LLP for the Healthcare Association of Hawaii shows the group as a whole had an operating loss for an eighth consecutive year, with net patient revenue totaling $1.99 billion, while costs totaled $2.14 billion.

"The payments that are coming in are still not covering costs," said Terri Fujii, Ernst & Young managing partner.

Fujii, who presented findings of the study at a Healthcare Association of Hawaii meeting this morning, said there were hospitals in the state that turned a profit during the year once non-patient revenue such as investment income was counted.

The report also noted hospitals lost money in providing trauma care and hosting teach programs.

It said payments only covered 92.9 percent of patient hospital costs in the state.

That compared to an average of 104.82 percent in hospitals in 28 states providing financial results to a hospital data base.