Serving and Strengthening our Communities
(click on graphic to download PDF)

Each and every day of 2006, Minnesota hospitals provided more than $1 million in uncompensated care to patients who didn't have health insurance or the means to pay for care.

Also each day last year, Minnesota hospitals invested nearly $400,000 in research to test new treatments, study diseases and, ultimately, improve the lives of others.

Lastly, Minnesota hospitals spent $3.7 million every day in 2006 for providing care to senior and low-income residents because government programs like Medicaid didn't pay hospitals the full cost of providing that care (see PDF of news release).

Any way you look at it, the facts show that Minnesota hospitals play a vital role in the communities they serve each and every day. Minnesota Hospital Association's second annual community benefit report chronicles those contributions. A total of 130 hospitals reported data for "Minnesota Hospitals: Serving and Strengthening our Communities": [PDF]

A statewide snapshot
Minnesota hospitals documented $1.37 billion -- or 9.2 percent of their total operating expenses -- in uncompensated community benefit programs last year. Added together with losses the hospitals incurred when treating patients on Medicare, for example, and other contributions, Minnesota hospitals' community contributions exceeded $2.71 billion. See breakout of benefits by contributions: [PDF].

For more information
Questions about community benefits may be directed to either Matt Anderson, Joe Schindler or Amy Harris at MHA, (651) 641-1121 or (800) 462-5393.