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.



A spokesperson for the coalition declined to disclose the names of the hospitals before a planned meeting with Hamer, but check back with Progress Illinois for our next installment of coverage on this issue when we expect more information.