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February 10, 2004/revised August 2, 2005

Community Benefits Act Compliance Instructions

The Community Benefits Act, enacted in August 2003, requires certain hospitals to file annual reports of the benefits provided to their communities. For profit, governmental, rural hospitals and hospitals with less than 100 beds are excluded.

The Illinois Attorney Generals office recently sent compliance instructions to those hospitals subject to the Act. The instructions are substantially similar to an IHA memo sent in September 2003 to assist hospitals in complying with the new Act. The major change is that the AGs office has determined that the filing requirement will take effect for hospital fiscal years that begin on or after January 1, 2004, not September 1, 2003 as the Act had stated. This change is due to the timing of the compliance instructions release. The first reports are due six months after the close of the fiscal year.

The Attorney Generals office will develop a standard statement for hospitals to post notifying the public of the report. This notice need not be posted until the first annual report is due.

Community Benefit Act Compliance Instructions; Issued February 4, 2004 by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General 
Community Benefit Reporting Guidelines and Standard Definitions; Issued June 2004 by the Catholic Health Association, VHA, Inc., and Lyon Software (Note: large document - will take time to download)

Staff Contact: Sandy Kraiss: (630) 276-5522