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The ten hospital systems surveyed last year by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-IA, provided more than half a billion dollars in uncompensated care to patients in 2004.
According to survey responses, the hospitals' charity care and financial assistance programs provided free care for the poorest patients and discounts for uninsured patients ranging up to 500% of the federal poverty level. The hospitals listed other widely diverse community benefit programs and activities to respond to the needs of their particular communities including health screenings, child immunization, nurse triage, poison control, blood drives, prenatal programs, clinical research and health professional training.
“No other part of the health care sector comes close to that record of service to communities,” said Richard Umbdenstock, AHA chief operating officer and president-elect. “The programs cited by these hospitals represent only a portion of the value that these hospitals return to their communities. America 's hospitals provide good value in promoting the health and well-being of their communities.”
A copy of the response or a detailed community benefit report can be found on the Web sites of the ten systems: Advocate Health Care Network and Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp., Banner Health, The Cleveland Clinic, Fairview Health Systems, New York Presbyterian Hospital System, North Mississippi Health Services, Phoebe Putney Health Systems, Resurrection Medical Center and Resurrection Health Care, Sutter Health, and William Beaumont Hospital.
This article first appeared in the September 18, 2006 issue of AHA News
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