Charity Care/Community Benefits - Tools and InformationHospitals are an integral part of their community. Providing quality care to patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week tells only part of the story. They offer countless other benefits, including compassionate care for those who are unable to pay. They have developed fair and compassionate policies to help the uninsured. Because hospitals are facing increased scrutiny over their charity care practices and other community benefits they provide, they must be ready to respond to potential challenges to their eligibility for state income tax, property tax and sales tax exemptions, as well as federal income tax and access to tax-exempt financing. Lawmakers, regulators, the media and community leaders want to know what local hospitals are giving back to their communities. Hospitals must tell local leaders about the importance of hospitals to their communities and the tremendous benefits they provide as well as about their strong commitment to serving their patients and communities. The following information offers assistance to Illinois hospitals to educate and inform their communities and their leaders on the good works they provide, as well as to assist hospitals in gathering and compiling useful information on these issues. One important tool is the Illinois Community Benefits Act annual report, which quantifies what types and amount of benefits a hospital provides. Using these resources, hospitals can tailor their message about charity care and community benefits to tell their story. Click on the links below to view the resources in each category. Or, click here to view a full table of contents of all the information in #1 through 7.
Staff Contact: Sandy Kraiss: (630) 276-5522 |