Grassley asks GAO to examine nonprofit hospitals

Sen. Charles Grassley asked the Government Accountability Office to study community benefit and executive/board compensation at nonprofit hospitals as part of his ongoing review of nonprofit practices. In a letter to the GAO, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee asked that GAO "examine a broad range of nonprofit hospitals by size, geographic location, teaching status and the level of state legislative and regulatory requirements on charity care and other community benefits."

Specifically, he asked the agency to examine the "standards and policies nonprofit hospitals use to define the components of uncompensated care, charity care and bad debt, and how nonprofit hospitals interpret and report them in practice." In addition, he sought information on the extent to which executives and board members "are involved in for-profit business ventures with the nonprofit hospital." This is the second GAO study that Sen. Grassley requested this week; the first dealt with the tax-exempt status of college athletics. AHA is currently working with its own members and the Internal Revenue Service to further address many of the same areas noted in the senator's letter to GAO. More: http://www.senate.gov/~finance/press/Gpress/2007/prg040507b.pdf   [AHA News Now, 04-06-07]

Minnesota attorney general, hospitals extend medical billing agreement

Minnesota hospitals and the state attorney general have extended for five years an earlier agreement regarding hospital medical billing and debt collection standards. The state's hospitals agreed in May 2005 not to charge uninsured patients earning less than a certain income more than they charge their largest insurance companies for the same service.

The agreement also set forth guidelines for medical debt collection practices. "Minnesota hospitals are proud to continue our innovative leadership on this issue and our commitment to putting patient care first," said Bruce Rueben, president of the Minnesota Hospital Association. "The continuation of this agreement signals the dedication of Minnesota hospitals to doing what is right for patients and working together to solve a national problem." More: http://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/PressRelease/FairMedicalBilling.asp  [AHA News Now, 04-06-07]

New Job Listing: Manager, Community Health and Planning

Brooks Health System in Jacksonville, Florida seeks a Manager for Community Health and Planning with responsibilities that include:

• Originate, facilitate, and complete community health planning, analysis, research and program performance evaluations.
• Manage community health projects, working with teams of operational managers, physicians, staff, consultants, and other clients and customers.
• Assure that projects mirror the goals of the community health principles and support the strategic priorities of Brooks Health System.

For more details on duties, requirements and Brooks Health System, visit http://www.communityhlth.org/communityhlth/careers.html and click "search jobs."

Community Benefit 101: The Nuts and Bolts of Planning and Reporting Community Benefit

April 24, 2007 -- San Francisco, CA

The Catholic Health Association is offering a one-day seminar that covers the basics of community benefit in not-for-profit health care.  Participants will learn how community benefit expresses the organizational mission; details of federal community benefit standards, the latest news on tax exemption/community benefit issues at the federal and state levels and more.

Details: http://www.chausa.org/Pub/MainNav/ourcommitments/CommunityBenefits/Events/commben101/