Nonprofit Hospitals: Healthcare the way it should be LANSING, Mich., March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan's nonprofit community hospitals provided more than $1 billion in uncompensated care and in the unreimbursed costs of government programs (such as Medicaid and Medicare) and more than $327 million in free or reduced-fee community-based programs in fiscal year 2004 (the most recent year for which data is available), according to a report released yesterday by the Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA). In total, Michigan hospitals provided more than $1.3 billion in community benefits programming. The MHA 2006 Hospital Community Benefits Report is based on data from 126 of Michigan's nonprofit community hospitals. Eighty-eight percent of the state's 144 nonprofit community hospitals voluntarily submitted data for the report, which quantifies traditional community benefits, that is uncompensated care that includes health care services provided to patients who are unable to pay and the unreimbursed costs of government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, and nontraditional community benefits, programs and services offered by Michigan's nonprofit hospitals beyond hospital walls to improve health status or increase access to care. "The MHA 2006 Hospital Community Benefits Report demonstrates how Michigan's nonprofit hospitals are going above and beyond the delivery of essential health care services to ensure healthier children, safer environments, earlier detection of disease, and enhanced access to basic health care services," said MHA President Spencer Johnson. The MHA has published the report annually since 1997 to illustrate nonprofit hospitals' efforts to benefit the communities they serve beyond the delivery of essential health care services. In addition to statewide aggregate community benefits data, the report includes examples of actual community programs being conducted by hospitals. In 2004, Michigan's nonprofit hospitals helped people reduce or eliminate tobacco use, aided residents through free weight-management and physical- activity programs, and provided disease prevention and education programs. Quick Facts from the MHA 2006 Hospital Community Benefits Report: * Michigan's nonprofit hospitals offer free clinics in nearly every community in the state. * Virtually every Michigan hospital works hard to prevent diseases by offering a variety of free health screening programs, many where residents work, play and go to school. * Michigan residents participated more than nine million times in nearly 23,000 community-based education and outreach programs offered by Michigan hospitals. * Hospitals provided free or discounted prescription drugs to more than 111,000 residents. * More than 600,000 Michigan residents received in-home meals, respite care and similar services from Michigan hospitals. * Michigan hospitals provided nearly $20 million in cash and in-kind donations to community groups and programs. Can you think where all this money would have gone if these hospitals would have been for-profit. Not to the people who need it most, thatâ