A recent report by the Connecticut Hospital Association revealed that the amount spent by hospitals in the state toward community benefit programs in 2007 totaled $718 million.
CHA officials said the amount represents 9.4 percent of total hospital revenue. The association collected data from Connecticut's 28 not-for-profit acute care hospitals, showing that more than 9.7 million community benefit services were provided to individuals and families across the state.
According to the CHA report, "Keeping Connecticut Healthy," the $718 million in community benefits includes $434.3 million in government sponsored health benefits, covering the unpaid costs of government programs. Uncompensated care, including charity care and bad debt, amounted to $228.8 million. Subsidized health services, providing care to needy residents, totaled $29 million.
Other community investments included health improvement services ($15.3 million), community building projects ($4 million), donations to community organizations ($3.4 million) and community healthcare research ($3.2 million).
The report highlights a number of specific community contributions by Connecticut hospitals.
They include:
- Financial assistance to the uninsured;
- Mobile vans and clinics delivering primary and preventive care;
- Healthy lifestyle education programs;
- Weight loss and physical activity promotion;
- Programs for managing chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes; and
- Initiatives addressing Connecticut's key public health challenges such as heart disease and cancer.