The Fair Care Coalition held a rally to call on the state Dept. of
Revenue to rethink property tax exemptions to some non-profit hospitals.
In a letter to Illinois Dept. of Revenue Director Brian Hamer, the
advocacy group cited a 2009 Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
study that showed the amount of charity care to the poor and uninsured
by non-profit hospitals in Cook County only represented 36 percent of
the value in their tax exemptions. This, the group said, means so-called
not-for-profit hospitals are actually making record profits from the
millions via tax breaks and subsidies.
It also appears,
according to the coalition’s research, that a few hospitals are also
carrying the bulk of the burden to provide free or reduced-cost health
services to the state’s most vulnerable. Citing a state Supreme Court
decision in the 2010 Provena Medical Center v. The Department of Revenue
case that ruled charity care is the measure for property tax exemption,
the coalition released this info-graphic that shows the top 9 and
bottom 9 providers of charity care and their respective tax breaks. See the info-graphic after the jump.
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