U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut wants U.S. News and World Report to stop accepting money from hospitals for its national “Best Hospitals" rankings.
The media company publishes rankings for “Best Hospital” for certain specialties, conditions and procedures while receiving money from the hospitals through license fees for the use of the “Best Hospital” logo.
“There may be real inequities in the way these rankings are devised," Blumenthal said. ”And that’s why I want U.S. News and World Report to come clean, to stop taking the payment and to tell Connecticut patients and their families how it actually derives these rankings.”
Blumenthal’s demand letter comes after several hospitals, law schools, medical schools and colleges have announced that they’ll stop participating in the rankings.
The company has defended its rankings as an important public service to Americans making critical health care decisions.
