The following Q&As and Community Benefit Categories and Definitions are two resources that can help you determine whether to report a program or activity as community benefit. If you still have questions after reviewing these resources submit them to CHA using the What Counts Email Hotline Submission Form.
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- Financial Assistance
Topic: Discounts (June 2011; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Financial Assistance Policies (Updated March 2013; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Foundation Payments for Charity Care Patients (August 2009; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Free Care for Priests in the Diocese (January 2011)
Topic: Free Care Vouchers to Low-Income School Districts (August 2009; Updated November 2015)
Topic: International Patients (January 2008; Updated November 2015)
- Government-Sponsored Means Tested Health Care
Topic: Can Medicaid denials be included in financial assistance policies? (January 2019)
Topic: High Risk Pools (2007)
Topic: Losses on CHAMPUS/TRICARE (May 2012)
Topic: Medicaid Losses (December 2009)
Topic: Medicaid Revenues Greater than Expenses (April 2011; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Medicare Losses (2007)
Topic: Medicare Revenues (June 2012; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Provider Taxes (April 2009)
Topic: Sales Tax (2007)
Topic: Uncompensated Care Pools (January 2008)
- Community Benefit Services
- Community Health Improvement Services
Community Health Education
Topic: Addressing Hospital Industry Hazards and Injuries (August 2009)
Topic: Advanced Directives (October 2008; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Community Awareness/Education (June 2012)
Topic: Community Health Resource Center (February 2011)
Topic: Competition to Increase Awareness of Mental Illness (August 2009)
Topic: Health Fairs/Screenings (2007; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Hospital Website Provides Public Health Information (August 2009)
Topic: Is it Marketing? (April 2009)
Topic: Lactation Services (Updated September 2016)
Topic: Media Outreach Programs (Updated June 2012; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Program T-shirts and Accessories (December 2014)
Topic: Support Groups (Updated November 2015)
Community-Based Clinical Services
Topic: Employee Health Promotion (2007)
Topic: Employer Screenings (November 2008)
Topic: Fast Track Clinic Expenses (August 2009)
Topic: Health Promotion for Long-Term Care Residents (April 2009)
Topic: Immunizations for Patients (August 2009)
Health Care Support Services
Topic: Applying for Guardianship (September 2012)
Topic: Baby Supplies for New Mothers (January 2011)
Topic: Bereavement Support Remembrance Services (June 2012)
Topic: Catholic Mass Open to Community (January 2009)
Topic: Connecting Patients to Community Resources (e.g. Health Leads) (May 2018)
Topic: Enrollment Assistance (Updated December 2014)
Topic: Genetic Counseling (November 2015)
Topic: Interpreter Services (June 2015)
Topic: Lifeline Services (January 2009)
Topic: Nurse Navigators (November 2015)
Topic: PACE Housing (Updated November 2015)
Topic: Pastoral Care Programs (August 2009)
Topic: Paying Expenses on Behalf of Individuals (Updated November 2015)
Topic: Paying for Care in Outside Facility (Updated November 2015)
Topic: Paying for Low-Income Patient Burial Costs (Updated November 2015)
Topic: Post Discharge/Care Management Services for Hospital's Low-Income Patients (Updated November 2015)
Topic: Providing Access to Post-Acute Care for Homeless and Uninsured (Updated November 2015)
Topic: Residential Facilities for Patients and Families (July 2013)
Topic: Transportation (2007)
Topic: Transporting Breast Milk (June 2012)
Social and Environmental Improvement Activities
Topic: Community Benefit or Community Building Activity (November 2015)
Topic: Community-wide Quality Improvement/Care Coordination Efforts (March 2013)
Topic: Educating Hospitals About Successful Environmental Practices (August 2009)
Topic: Food Policy/Leadership Councils (August 2013)
Topic: Physician Recruitment (March 2013; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Providing Place for Exercise/Play (March 2016)
Topic: Sustainable Farming (March 2013)
- Health Professional Education
Topic: Allied Health Professions (Updated August 2013)
Topic: Clinical Pastoral Education (January 2011)
Topic: Grand Rounds (December 2014)
Topic: Housing Costs (March 2013)
Topic: Libraries (February 2011)
Topic: Long-Term Care Administrator Internships (February 2011)
Topic: Nursing Schools (February 2011)
Topic: Physician Education/CME programs (February 2011)
Topic: Physician Residents/Student Time (February 2011)
Topic: Physician Time in Health Profession Education (June 2012)
Topic: Scholarships (2007)
Topic: Time Working with Health Professions Students (Updated July 2016)
Topic: Tuition Assistance (February 2011)
- Subsidized Health Services
Topic: Emergency Services (February 2010; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Ground Ambulance Service
Topic: Hospice (February 2008)
Topic: Hospital Departments (February 2010; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Hospital Losing Money (April 2009; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Mammograms (February 2010)
Topic: Medical Practices (February 2010)
Topic: Organ Harvesting (May 2009; Updated November 2015)
Topic: PACE (December 2014)
Topic: Palliative Care (January 2008)
Topic: Paying Physicians to be On-Call
Topic: Paying Physicians to Serve Low Income/Uninsured (Updated June 2012)
Topic: Services for Veterans (February 2010; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Specialty Hospital Services (April 2009)
Topic: Telehealth Services (2007)
Topic: Telemonitoring (May 2008)
Topic: What Qualifies as a Subsidized Service?
- Research
Topic: Institutional Review Boards (February 2011; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Physician Research Presentations (February 2011)
Topic: Quality Assurance or Research (February 2011; Updated November 2015)
- Cash Donations and In-Kind Contributions
Topic: After Prom Donations (January 2009)
Topic: Ambulance Service (February 2010)
Topic: Attending Meetings (April 2009)
Topic: Blood Drives (July 2014)
Topic: Community Benefit or Community Building Donations (April 2009; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Contribution for Fireworks Display (May 2010)
Topic: Contributions to Statewide Nonprofit Insurance Organization (November 2013)
Topic: Donated Equipment/Supplies — Locally & Globally (2009; Updated March 2018)
Topic: Donated Food (2007)
Topic: Donated Hospital Services — Lab, Radiology, Pharmacy (2007; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Donated Space (2007)
Topic: Donations on Behalf of Employees (May 2018)
Topic: Donation to Endowment Fund for School for the Deaf (May 2010)
Topic: Donations to Employees (February 2008)
Topic: Electronic Health Records (2012; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Employee and Physician Time (2007; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Employee Participation in Professional Organizations (May 2012)
Topic: Employee Time and Fund-Raising Costs (April 2009)
Topic: Entertainment/Sporting Fundraising Events (October 2008; revised November 2008; revised January 2011; revised February 2014)
Topic: Foreign Poverty Tours/Medical Missions (September 2012)
Topic: Free Telemedicine Services to Community Hospitals(January 2011)
Topic: Funds and Services Donated by One Organization to Another (2007)
Topic: Funds Raised by Hospital Auxiliary Groups (2007; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Hospital Volunteers' Time (2007)
Topic: Letters Restricting Donations (2007; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Medical Respite Program (August 2009)
Topic: Parking (2011)
Topic: PILOTS/SILOTS (2007)
Topic: Scholarships for Health Professions Education (August 2013)
Topic: Scholarships for Pediatric Cancer Survivors (April 2011)
Topic: School and Team Sports (December 2009)
Topic: Voter Registration Education (June 2012)
- Community Building Activities
Topic: Advocacy (February 2010)
Topic: Chamber of Commerce (May 2009; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Child Day Care (2007)
Topic: Disaster Preparedness (Updated April 2015; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Ebola Planning and Preparations (December 2014)
Topic: Green Purchasing (October 2008)
Topic: Hiring and Training Handicapped Workers (April 2011)
Topic: Income Tax Assistance Program (May 2010)
Topic: Literacy Program (August 2010)
Topic: Physician Recruitment (Updated March 2013; Updated March 2018)
Topic: Recruiting for Clinical Laboratory Personnel (April 2009; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Socially Responsible Investing (October 2008; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Workforce Development – Shadowing (August 2015; Updated November 2015)
- Community Benefit Operations
Topic: Attending Workshops (January 2008)
Topic: Community Benefit Report (May 2010; Updated November 2015)
Topic: Community Health Needs Assessment (Updated November 2013)
Topic: Grant Applications (October 2008)
Topic: IT Initiatives Supporting Community Benefit (January 2009)
- General Questions
Topic: Approach to Indirect Costs (2007)
Topic: Capital Costs (November 2015)
Topic: Changing Target Populations of Current Community Benefit Programs (June 2014)
Topic: Counting Persons Served (April 2009; Updated November 2015)
Topic: IT Costs (October 2008)
Topic: Joint Ventures and For-Profit Entities
Topic: Lost Revenue (January 2008)
Topic: Reporting Programs with No Expenses (November 2015)
Topic: Reporting Restricted Grants (June 2014)
Topic: Reporting Telemedicine/Telehealth Programs and Activities (January 2015)
Topic: Splitting Costs between Community Benefit and Marketing (February 2008)
Topic: Timing of CHNA to be Reported on Schedule H (March 2018)
Please Take Note: The information provided above does not constitute legal or tax advice. The material is provided for informational/educational purposes only. Please consult with counsel regarding your organization's particular circumstances.