Health News
- Kentucky Hospitals List Their Community Benefits
Kentucky hospitals estimated that they contributed nearly $2.18 billion to their communities in 2012, up from $1.96 billion the previous year, says a report compiled from information provided by the hospitals to the Kentucky Hospital Association....
- Friedell Committee Will Consider What It Will Take For Kentucky To Become A Healthier State At Meeting Sunday And Monday
What will it take for Kentucky to become a healthier state? That will be the question at the fall meeting of the Friedell Committee for Health System Transformation, at the Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington Sunday, Nov. 10 and Monday, Nov. 11. Participants...
- Kentucky Hospitals Gave $1.96 Billion To Communities In 2011, Including $576.7 Million Cover Of Medicare, Medicaid Shortfalls
In 2011, despite economic and financial obstacles, Kentucky hospitals' estimated value of benefits to their communities up 17 percent from the year before, to $1.96 billion. So says the Kentucky Hospital Associated 2011 Community Benefits Report,...
- County Boards Of Health Are Being Told To Take A More Active Role In Improving The Health Of Their Communities
Christian County's health director told the county Board of Health last week that it "needs to spend less time on the health department?s budget and more time addressing big questions of community health," Nick Tabor writes for the Kentucky New Era....
- Kentucky Hospitals Say They Gave Back $1.67 Billion To Their Communities In 2010, Mostly By Absorbing Losses And Bad Debts
By Tara Kaprowy Kentucky Health News With the downturn in the economy part of the reason, Kentucky's hospitals say they gave back a whopping $1.67 billion to their communities in 2010, mainly by providing care for which they were never paid. That's...
Health News
Report says hospitals could fund improvements in Ky.'s health
A focus on population health, prevention and wellness is how Kentucky will become a healthier state, and one source for funding these efforts is hospitals, because most nonprofit hospitals are required to invest back into their communities, according to a recent report from the Friedell Committee for Health System Transformation.
?Right now, in Kentucky, most of the money that is spent in health is for healthcare and services,? Dr. Richard Heine, executive director of the Friedell Committee and author of the report, said in a news release. ?Very little money is available to address population health and wellness, which would lead to healthier people.?
The report, "Hospital Community Benefits and the Health of Kentucky," says that while many Kentucky nonprofit hospitals are already partnering with local health departments to create a community health needs assessment and addressing community needs, there is room for more collaboration between community leaders and their local hospitals to find ways to use these funds toward improving their communities health.
Almost 10 percent of the annual $9 billion operating budgets of Kentucky's non-profit hospitals, or $877 million, goes toward community benefits.
More than 80 percent of that is used to cover bad debts or care that wasn't reimbursed. Only 5 percent goes to "community health improvement services and community benefit operations," according to the report.
The report ponders that there might be more dollars available for community needs and improvement of population health because the expansion of Medicaid has reduced the amount of uncompensated care.
"With some portion of the more than $877 million in community benefit funds available, Kentucky nonprofit hospitals are in a position to stimulate significant changes in the reach and efficacy of preventive health programs, health policy, and with collaboration and cooperation of the people they serve, much progress can be expected," the report says.
?This partnership can be powerful and important in creating positive change,? Heine said in the release. ?These funds present a possible means to finance community health initiatives, which typically do not have a designated funding source.?
?Right now, in Kentucky, most of the money that is spent in health is for healthcare and services,? Dr. Richard Heine, executive director of the Friedell Committee and author of the report, said in a news release. ?Very little money is available to address population health and wellness, which would lead to healthier people.?
The report, "Hospital Community Benefits and the Health of Kentucky," says that while many Kentucky nonprofit hospitals are already partnering with local health departments to create a community health needs assessment and addressing community needs, there is room for more collaboration between community leaders and their local hospitals to find ways to use these funds toward improving their communities health.
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| Figure 1 has 2009 national data. Figure 2 has 2011-12 Kentucky data. (Friedell Committee graphic) |
More than 80 percent of that is used to cover bad debts or care that wasn't reimbursed. Only 5 percent goes to "community health improvement services and community benefit operations," according to the report.
The report ponders that there might be more dollars available for community needs and improvement of population health because the expansion of Medicaid has reduced the amount of uncompensated care.
"With some portion of the more than $877 million in community benefit funds available, Kentucky nonprofit hospitals are in a position to stimulate significant changes in the reach and efficacy of preventive health programs, health policy, and with collaboration and cooperation of the people they serve, much progress can be expected," the report says.
?This partnership can be powerful and important in creating positive change,? Heine said in the release. ?These funds present a possible means to finance community health initiatives, which typically do not have a designated funding source.?
- Kentucky Hospitals List Their Community Benefits
Kentucky hospitals estimated that they contributed nearly $2.18 billion to their communities in 2012, up from $1.96 billion the previous year, says a report compiled from information provided by the hospitals to the Kentucky Hospital Association....
- Friedell Committee Will Consider What It Will Take For Kentucky To Become A Healthier State At Meeting Sunday And Monday
What will it take for Kentucky to become a healthier state? That will be the question at the fall meeting of the Friedell Committee for Health System Transformation, at the Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington Sunday, Nov. 10 and Monday, Nov. 11. Participants...
- Kentucky Hospitals Gave $1.96 Billion To Communities In 2011, Including $576.7 Million Cover Of Medicare, Medicaid Shortfalls
In 2011, despite economic and financial obstacles, Kentucky hospitals' estimated value of benefits to their communities up 17 percent from the year before, to $1.96 billion. So says the Kentucky Hospital Associated 2011 Community Benefits Report,...
- County Boards Of Health Are Being Told To Take A More Active Role In Improving The Health Of Their Communities
Christian County's health director told the county Board of Health last week that it "needs to spend less time on the health department?s budget and more time addressing big questions of community health," Nick Tabor writes for the Kentucky New Era....
- Kentucky Hospitals Say They Gave Back $1.67 Billion To Their Communities In 2010, Mostly By Absorbing Losses And Bad Debts
By Tara Kaprowy Kentucky Health News With the downturn in the economy part of the reason, Kentucky's hospitals say they gave back a whopping $1.67 billion to their communities in 2010, mainly by providing care for which they were never paid. That's...