Charity Care In The News Again

The question of whether tax-exempt non-profit health care organizations provide enough "community benefit" just got more talking points.

Last month, the California Office of the Attorney General (OAG) ruled that three non-profit hospitals involved in mergers must meet existing charity care obligations, after those hospitals asked for reduced state-based charity care obligations last fall (see California Rules Non-Profit Hospitals In Mergers Must Meet Charity Care Obligations). The initial request was driven by the non-profit hospitals' argument that the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has provided enough consumers with insurance to diminish the . . .