Report: Hospitals provided $2 billion in community benefits in FY 2019

Wisconsin hospitals provided around $2 billion in community benefits in FY 2019, according to a recent Wisconsin Hospital Association report. The amount is similar to the previous year.

The largest portion was $1.2 billion in “Medicaid shortfalls.”

Hospitals also reported a loss of $259.8 million on training health professionals. Charity care at cost was $188 million in FY 2019.

WHA reported $69.1 million for work beyond patient care that’s aimed at improving community health. They detailed community benefits projects throughout the state in the report.

WHA CEO Eric Borgerding wrote in the report that the year covered in the report included a period of time where the state saw the “uncontrolled spread” of COVID-19, pushing health systems to their limits. Hospitals were able to increase their capacity by 2,000 beds to treat patients, he noted.

“The measures adopted by Wisconsin’s hospitals and health systems to care for our friends, neighbors and loved ones in the face of unprecedented challenges are remarkable, especially considering the strains rising case numbers and hospitalizations placed on their operations, finances and staffing,” Borgerding said.

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