AHA letter to editor responds to op-ed claiming nonprofit hospitals do not meet community benefit obligations

The Washington Post has published a letter to the editor by AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack responding to a May 4 op-ed accusing nonprofit hospitals of not fully meeting their community benefit requirements. The letter states:  

“In addition to the many core, essential medical services they offer, nonprofit hospitals and health systems provided nearly $150 billion in benefits to their communities in 2022 alone. These come in the form of financial assistance to those in need, helping patients with health screenings, housing and healthy food, providing transportation to medical appointments, absorbing chronic underpayments from Medicare and Medicaid, and providing billions of dollars’ worth of uncompensated care to patients who are uninsured or underinsured.  
 
“In fact, the benefits that tax-exempt hospitals provide to their communities are estimated to be more than 11 times greater than the value of their forgone federal tax revenue, according to a recent study from EY. That is a striking return on investment. However, many hospitals are struggling amid surging costs for labor, drugs and equipment. In 2025, total hospital expenses grew 7.5 percent, more than twice the rate of growth in hospital reimbursements for patient care. Hospitals are also contending with ever-increasing administrative burdens due to commercial health insurer practices that delay and deny needed care to patients. All hospitals are cornerstones of their communities. Instead of advocating flawed policy proposals, let’s focus on ways we can support hospitals and health systems so they can continue to be there for the patients and communities that depend on them.”