(The Center Square) – Thousands of hospitals subsidized by American taxpayers could face heightened fiscal scrutiny under new legislation heading to the U.S. House floor.
Currently, nonprofit hospitals must provide certain community benefits and charity care and disclose those to the IRS in order to maintain their tax-exempt status.
kAmqFE C6A@CED kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E942C636EC2J2=]4@>^07:=6D^F85^76b2350bb5hb2g3b6dacg`bh323655e4742gbh4]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm2==686k^2mk^DEC@?8m E92E 2E =62DE @G6C 2 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?2E:@?2=^2CE:4=60e33`76_b\5b_3\c6_e\hf6h\47_f4d2ca6d3]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm5@K6? >2;@C &]$] 9@DA:E2= DJDE6>D 23FD6 E96:C E2I\6I6>AE DE2EFDk^2mk^DEC@?8m[ H:E9 D@>6 4FCC6?E=J AC@G:5:?8 >:?:>2= 4@>>F?:EJ 36?67:ED 2?5 9:<:?8 962=E942C6 AC:46D 6G6? 2D 9@DA:E2= =6256CD9:A C646:G6 =2G:D9 D2=2C:6D]k^Am
kAmx? 2? 677@CE E@ 96=A 4@>32E E92E[ E96 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^H2JD2?5>62?D]9@FD6]8@G^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_e^yr%\s6D4C:AE:@?\@7\w#\hd_c]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm%2I tI6>AE w@DA:E2= %C2?DA2C6?4J p4Ek^2mk^DEC@?8m H@F=5 6IA2?5 C6A@CE:?8 C6BF:C6>6?ED 7@C 2== ?@?AC@7:E 9@DA:E2=D]k^Am
kAm':<2D $2:?:[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 {@H? x?DE:EFE6[ 2 ?@?A2CE:D2? 962=E942C6 DJDE6> H2E495@8[ 42==65 E96 3:== “4@>>@? D6?D6[ 2?5 =@?8 @G6C5F6]”k^Am
kAm“%96C6 92G6 366? 2 =@E @7 D9@CE4@>:?8D :? H92E H6 <?@H 23@FE ?@?AC@7:E 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 E96:C 3692G:@C[ 2?5 E96C6 92G6 366? 2 ?F>36C @7 :DDF6D E92E 92G6 DFC72465 @G6C E96 A2DE D6G6C2= J62CD[” $2:?: E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6] “$@ E96C6 :D 2 4=62C ?665 7@C 2 =@E >@C6[ 2?5 E9:D 3:== :D 2 >2;@C DE6A 7@CH2C5 :? >2<:?8 E96D6 :DDF6D >@C6 EC2?DA2C6?E]”k^Am
kAm}@?AC@7:E 9@DA:E2=D >2<6 FA 23@FE dgT @7 4@>>F?:EJ 9@DA:E2=D 24C@DD E96 &]$] 2D @7 a_ae[ kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]292]@C8^DE2E:DE:4D^72DE\724ED\FD\9@DA:E2=DQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm244@C5:?8 E@ E96 p>6C:42? w@DA:E2= pDD@4:2E:@?k^2mk^DEC@?8m]k^Am
kAm&?56C E96 =68:D=2E:@?[ 2== a[hgc ?@?AC@7:E 9@DA:E2=D >FDE C6A@CE E96 G2=F6 @7 2?J 7:?2?4:2= 2DD:DE2?46 AC@G:565 2?5 E96 ?F>36C @7 7:?2?4:2= 2DD:DE2?46 2AA=:42E:@?D C646:G65[ 8C2?E65[ 2?5 56?:65 5FC:?8 2 E2I23=6 J62C] w@DA:E2= DJDE6>D >FDE 2=D@ AC@G:56 E96 r|$ G6C:7:42E:@? ?F>36C 7@C 6249 724:=:EJ]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?VE E9:?< E96C6 2C6 2?J C62= @?6C@FD AC@G:D:@?D E92E C6BF:C6 >2;@C :>A=6>6?E2E:@? 492?86D @C 4@>>:E>6?ED @7 5@==2CD] qFE :E 5@6D C6BF:C6 5:D4=@DFC6 :? 2 =@E >@C6 56E2:=[” $2:?: ?@E65]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 3:== 96=AD 7:I D@>6 3=:?5 DA@ED[ @?6 @7 H9:49[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ :D C6A@CE:?8 2E E96 724:=:EJ =6G6=] %96D6 3:8 DJDE6>D E92E >6C86 2?5 4@>3:?6 `_[ a_[ d_ 9@DA:E2=D[ E96:C C6A@CE:?8 ?@H >2<6D :E G6CJ 92C5 7@C 2?J@?6 E@ C62==J F?56CDE2?5 H92E E96:C 3692G:@C :D] p?5 BF:E6 @7E6?[ :E 6?5D FA 9:5:?8 A@@C\A6C7@C>:?8 9@DA:E2=D[” 96 25565] “$@ x E9:?< E9:D <:?5 @7 EC2?DA2C6?4J :D H6=4@>6]”k^Am
kAmu@C =2C86 ?@?AC@7:E 9@DA:E2=D – E9@D6 H:E9 >@C6 E92? `__ :?A2E:6?E 365D – E96 3:== 2=D@ C6BF:C6D C6A@CE:?8 @? 9@H >F49 E96J DA6?E E@ 255C6DD E96 E@A E9C66 AC:@C:EJ 962=E9 ?665D @7 E96:C 4@>>F?:E:6D[ 2D H6== 2D >@?6J DA6?E @? ?@?4=:?:42= AC@8C2>>:?8 2?5 BF2=:EJ :>AC@G6>6?E]k^Am
kAm}@?AC@7:E 9@DA:E2=D E92E 86?6C2E6 >@C6 E92? S`__ >:==:@? 2??F2==J :? ?6E A2E:6?E C6G6?F6 >FDE 255:E:@?2==J 5:D4=@D6 9@H >F49 E96J DA6?5 @? 25G6CE:D6>6?ED]k^Am
kAm}@E23=J[ E96 3:== :>A@D6D D@>6 @7 E96 7:CDE C62= EC2?DA2C6?4J >62DFC6D 7@C ?@?AC@7:E 9@DA:E2=D FD:?8 E96 bc_q 5CF8 AC:4:?8 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAmw:89\C6G6?F6 E2I\6I6>AE 9@DA:E2=D H@F=5 92G6 E@ C6A@CE 9@H >2?J A2E:6?ED C646:G65 @FEA2E:6?E 5CF8D 4@G6C65 3J E96 bc_q 5:D4@F?E[ 9@H >F49 :E 4@DE E96 9@DA:E2= E@ 4@>A=J H:E9 bc_q AC@8C2> C6BF:C6>6?ED[ 2?5 9@H >F49 ?6E C6G6?F6 E96 9@DA:E2= 244CF65 7C@> E96 bc_q AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm%96 6IEC2 C6A@CE:?8 C6BF:C6>6?ED 2:> E@ F?4@G6C 9@DA:E2=D E92E kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^>:49:82?^2CE:4=602f__6e64\ac_3\``67\2e7c\g7e53ec25g7e]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE2<6 25G2?E286 @7 E96 bc_q AC@8C2>k^2mk^DEC@?8m 3J 24BF:C:?8 4@G6C65 5CF8D 2E 2 5:D4@F?E65 AC:46 3FE E96? 492C8:?8 =@H\:?4@>6 A2E:6?ED E96 C68F=2C AC:46 2?5 A@4<6E:?8 E96 D2G:?8D]k^Am
kAm“%92E AC@8C2> H2D >62?E E@ 96=A E96 A@@C 2?5 E9@D6 H9@ 92G6 A@@C 2446DD E@ >65:42E:@?] qFE E96 AC@3=6> 92D 366?[ @?46 E96 3:== H2D :>A=6>6?E65[ E96C6VD C62==J ?@ D6?D6 @7 H96E96C E92EVD 24EF2==J 92AA6?:?8 E96 H2J :E H2D :?E6?565[” $2:?: D2:5]k^Am
kAm“p?5 :7 :EVD 2== 36:?8 DA6?E :? H2JD 2D E96 @C:8:?2= =68:D=2E:@? :?E6?565[ 8C62E[ ?@ AC@3=6>] qFE E@ E96 6IE6?E E96JVC6 FD:?8 E9:D 2=>@DE 2D 2 H:?572== E@ D@CE @7 3FEEC6DD @E96C 2DA64ED @7 E96:C @A6C2E:@?[ E96? x E9:?< E96 AF3=:4 56D6CG6D E@ <?@H E92E]”k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= DE2E6D 92G6 2=C625J kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^4:46C@:?DE:EFE6]@C8^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ad^_b^}@?AC@7:E\w@DA:E2=D\2?5\r@>>F?:EJ\q6?67:ED]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm:>A=6>6?E65 AC@G:D:@?D 6G6? DEC@?86Ck^2mk^DEC@?8m E92? E9@D6 :? E96 %2I tI6>AE w@DA:E2= %C2?DA2C6?4J p4E[ DF49 2D :>A@D:?8 >:?:>F> DA6?5:?8 =6G6=D @? 492C:EJ 42C6 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 36?67:ED[ 2?5 “E96 D<J 92D?’E 72==6?[” $2:?: ?@E65]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< 2== ?@?AC@7:E 9@DA:E2=D H9@ 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 5@ C:89E 3J E96:C 4@>>F?:EJ D9@F=5?’E 92G6 2 AC@3=6> H:E9 :E[” $2:?: D2:5] “x E9:?< :E :D D@>6E9:?8 E92E :==FDEC2E6D 9@H E96J 3692G6 :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2?5 x DFDA64E E92E E96D6 :DDF6D 92G6 366? 76DE6C:?8 7@C D@ =@?8 E92E E96C6VD 8@:?8 E@ 36 DEC@?8 3:A2CE:D2? 4@?D6?DFD 2C@F?5 E9:D…:E 5@6D?’E 92G6 2?J A2CE:4F=2C=J @?6C@FD C6BF:C6>6?ED 36J@?5 5:D4=@DFC6 2?5 EC2?DA2C6?4J]”k^Am
kAmw@FD6 (2JD 2?5 |62?D r@>>:EE66 s6>@4C2ED[ 9@H6G6C[ 2== G@E65 282:?DE 25G2?4:?8 E96 3:==[ kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]292]@C8^E6DE:>@?J^a_ae\_f\_`\292D\DE2E6>6?E\9@FD6\H2JD\2?5\>62?D\?@?AC@7:E\C6A@CE:?8\5C27E\3:==Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm649@:?8 4=2:>D 7C@> E96 p>6C:42? w@DA:E2= pDD@4:2E:@?k^2mk^DEC@?8m E92E E96 255:E:@?2= C6A@CE:?8 C6BF:C6>6?ED H@F=5 36 E@@ 3FC56?D@>6]k^Am
kAmr@>>:EE66 #2?<:?8 |6>36C #:492C5 }62=[ s\|2DD][ D2:5 E96 3:== “A:=6D @? 5FA=:42E:G6 C6A@CE:?8 C6BF:C6>6?ED H:E9 ?@ 4=62C 36?67:E]”k^Am
kAm“x 962C 7C@> >J 9@DA:E2=D H66<=J 23@FE E96 DEC2:? E96J 2C6 F?56C] %96 =2DE E9:?8 E96J ?665 :D 2?@E96C F?7F?565 C6A@CE:?8 >2?52E6[” }62= DE2E65 5FC:?8 E96 (65?6D52J 3:== >2C<FA]k^Am
kAmpD @7 a_ac[ E96 &]$] 9@DA:E2= D64E@C H2D 2 S`]e EC:==:@? :?5FDECJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4>D]8@G^52E2\C6D62C49^DE2E:DE:4D\EC6?5D\2?5\C6A@CED^?2E:@?2=\962=E9\6IA6?5:EFC6\52E2^?96\724E\D966EQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm>@DE C646?E r|$ 52E2k^2mk^DEC@?8m]k^Am
