Let's Talk Honestly About Health Care.

Some folks are confused about what the law requires. We’re not. The law allows estimates and the use of price estimator tools to make it easier for consumers to shop for future services. It also requires machine-readable files to make hospital standard charges public.

Hospital outpatient departments are different from an independent physician’s office. It’s a different service and should be paid a different price. Does this look like your doctor’s office?

The IRS requirements for hospitals to obtain tax-exempt status contains numerous factors. But there’s some noise suggesting that the tax exemption should not be greater than the dollar amount of “charity care.” But this ignores all the other demands currently placed on not-for-profit hospitals.

There is a lot of consolidation in the health care market. Insurers are acquiring physician practices and PBMs and pharmacies are integrated with PBMs. And private equity is buying up failing non-for-profit hospitals and turning them into for-profit hospitals. But not-for-profit hospitals, consolidating to maintain access to care for patients in their communities, bear the brunt of anti-consolidation rhetoric.

The numbers don’t lie. Hospitals aren’t driving health care costs. According to the CDC, 90% of our $4.5 trillion in health care costs are driven by chronic diseases and mental health issues. Not-for-profit hospitals are committed to helping patients manage and overcome chronic disease and mental health issues.