Could the charity care battle return to Illinois hospitals? @CookCountyBoard commissioners, frustrated by how much free medical care its @CookCtyHealth provides, is targeting rival hospitals to step up >> tinyurl.com/ycalmusx @CarlaKJohnson @AllanBaumgarten @bobjherman
Some background >> @CookCtyHealth provides nearly 1/2 of all the free care in #CookCounty, even though there are nearly 70 hospitals here. The burden has grown, while other hospitals provide less. @WBEZ dug into this in August >> tinyurl.com/ycvzevgh
Here's a main factor: in 2012, non-profit hospitals & state lawmakers brokered a deal. Hospitals can keep property tax breaks w/OUT having to treat patients for free. Instead, they provide broader financial benefits (IE: train docs, treat expensive trauma patients)
The ripple effect: lots more patients wind up @CookCtyHealth, a public health system & medical safety net for the community. Its CEO thinks hospitals are intentionally sending more patients his way, too. More on that >> tinyurl.com/ycvzevgh
Here's what @CookCountyBoard commissioners plan to do: target hospitals in their districts & ask them to step up >> tinyurl.com/ycalmusx
.@CookCountyBoard's powerful finance chair John Daley suggesting hosting a summit or pinging state lawmakers, too. 'I think it’s important because you see the (property tax) breaks they’re getting,' Daley told me. This could get interesting ... Stay tuned to @WBEZ
