New York hospitals have filed more than 80,000 lawsuits against New Yorkers since 2015. The five State-run facilities file a disproportionately large share of medical debt lawsuits: 20 percent (16,000) of all lawsuits since 2019. These state-run facilities receive over $530 million annually in federal Disproportionate Share Hospital funding which is supposed to support their uncompensated care costs. State-run hospitals have an excess of state resources to provide financial assistance to eligible patients instead of suing them. CSS research found that SUNY Upstate disproportionately sued patients who live in low-income communities and communities of color – including patients who were incarcerated and demonstrably had no means to pay their bills.