Hospital Community Benefit Reporting

Most hospitals in Oregon are recognized as non-profit institutions. To maintain their tax-exempt status, non-profit hospitals are expected to provide measurable benefits to the communities they serve. Community benefits generally are defined as programs or activities that hospitals provide despite a low or negative financial return. Examples of community benefits include providing free or discounted care to persons living in poverty, conducting education or research to promote community health, or donating funds or services to community groups.

 

In 2007, HB 3290 established Oregon's community benefit reporting law in order to document the benefits that hospitals provide to their communities. Under this law, each hospital annually submits a form to the Oregon Health Authority that reports the hospital's cost of providing community benefits in various categories