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Ohio Hospitals’ Benefit to Communities: $1.8
Billion
COLUMBUS—Sharing a story of compassionate,
quality caring, the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) today unveiled its annual statewide community benefit report
for Ohio hospitals outlining their $1.8 billion community benefit. The report
showcases the many compelling contributions hospitals make within and outside
their walls. The $1.8 billion story includes Ohio hospitals’ aggregate $867.9 million in charity care, $649.8 million in Medicaid losses and $899.3 million in community activities, which includes immunization programs, health screenings, medical research and education costs, disaster relief, support for community programs and more. Even at $1.8 billion, the report understates the amount of community benefit provided by Ohio hospitals. Some hospitals did not fully account for community activities in 2006, and Medicaid and Medicare costs reports, which for some hospitals is the basis for reporting Medicaid losses and charity care, do not fully account for all costs hospitals incur. Also not included in the official total of $1.8 billion, but a vital part of the total picture, are the financial contributions hospitals make to subsidize bad debt – a $560.7 million total – and Medicare losses – a $704.4 million shortfall. These elements are noted in the report but not as part of the community benefit total in accordance with Catholic Health Association guidelines, the nationally recognized standard on community benefit reporting. Ohio hospitals are creating a healthy tomorrow for Ohio’s fragile economy as well. The Buckeye state’s hospitals pumped $62.8 billion into Ohio’s economy and collectively provided jobs for 531,183 Ohioans either directly or indirectly in 2006. Numbers only make up a piece of the total community benefit picture. The report also includes stories of how caregivers go beyond expectations both inside and outside the hospital’s walls. “Ohio hospitals are vital to their communities whether it be responding to today’s emergency or investing in healthy communities for tomorrow,” said OHA President and CEO James R. Castle. “Patients stepped through Ohio hospitals’ doors 34 million times in 2006. In addition to providing excellent treatment to each and every patient, Ohio hospitals offer support and hope to every Ohioan through their community outreach and generosity.” OHA modeled its report on the Catholic Health Association’s A Guide for Planning and Reporting Community Benefit to obtain the hospital-reported information including: community activities, charity care, and Medicaid losses, as well as, Medicare losses and bad debt. Economic impact data was provided by the American Hospital Association. OHA will continue to work with hospitals to standardize definitions and data sources to improve reporting for future year’s community benefit reports. The 2008 statewide report, Caring Today for a Healthy Tomorrow, is available online at www.ohanet.org/benefit/. The Ohio Hospital Association was established in 1915 and currently represents 174 hospitals and 40 health systems throughout Ohio. OHA is a membership-driven organization that provides proactive leadership to create an environment in which Ohio hospitals are successful in serving their communities. Visit OHA’s Web site at www.ohanet.or. For information on top health care issues, visit the online OHA News Media Center at www.ohanet.org/media/.
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