US: Nonprofit Hospitals Chase Low-Income Patients on Debts

(Washington, June 15, 2023) – The US government’s failure to adequately regulate private nonprofit hospitals and to provide quality healthcare alternatives undermines access to health care, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. 
 
The 62-page report, “In Sheep’s Clothing: United States’ Poorly Regulated Nonprofit Hospitals Undermine Health Care Access,” describes how the US government’s lack of guidance and oversight allows privately operated tax-exempt hospitals to spend far less on making healthcare services accessible for people without the means to pay than the massive public subsidies they receive. In 2020, for example, nonprofit hospitals collectively received about $28 billion in tax benefits but only spent about $16 billion on free or reduced-price “charity care,” according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.