Overall, Montana’s nearly 50 nonprofit hospitals directed, on average, roughly 8% of their total annual expenses toward community benefits, such as covering the treatment costs of people who can’t afford care. That’s according to a KHN analysis of the hospitals’ IRS filings ending in 2019, which provide a snapshot of hospitals’ financial picture from before the pandemic. The national average as of 2018 was 10%, according to the American Hospital Association.
This report gives a very clear picture of the problem we face.