990 Schedule H Instructions for Schedule H (Form 990)

2021

Instructions for Schedule H
(Form 990)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

Hospitals
Section references are to the Internal Revenue
Code unless otherwise noted.

Contents
General Instructions . . . . . . . . . .
Purpose of Schedule . . . . . . . . .
Specific Instructions . . . . . . . . . .
Part I. Financial Assistance and
Certain Other Community
Benefits at Cost . . . . . . . . .
Optional Worksheets for Part I,
Line 7 (Financial Assistance
and Certain Other Community
Benefits at Cost) . . . . . . . . .
Part II. Community Building
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part III. Bad Debt, Medicare, &
Collection Practices . . . . . . .
Part IV. Management Companies
and Joint Ventures . . . . . . .
Part V. Facility Information . . . . . .
Part VI. Supplemental
Information . . . . . . . . . . . .
Worksheet 1. Financial Assistance
at Cost (Part I, Line 7a) . . . . .
Worksheet 2. Ratio of Patient Care
Cost to Charges . . . . . . . . .
Worksheet 3. Medicaid and Other
Means-Tested Government
Health Programs (Part I, Lines
7b and 7c) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Worksheet 4. Community Health
Improvement Services and
Community Benefit
Operations (Part I, Line 7e) . .
Worksheet 5. Health Professions
Education (Part I, Line 7f) . . .
Worksheet 6. Subsidized Health
Services (Part I, Line 7g) . . . .
Worksheet 7. Research (Part I,
Line 7h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Worksheet 8. Cash and In-Kind
Contributions for Community
Benefit (Part I, Line 7i) . . . . .
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Future Developments
For the latest information about
developments related to Form 990 and its
instructions, such as legislation enacted
after they were published, go to IRS.gov/
Form990.

General Instructions
Note. Terms in bold are defined in the
Glossary of the Instructions for Form 990.

Nov 09, 2021

Background. The Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act),
enacted March 23, 2010, P.L. No.
111-148, added section 501(r) to the
Code. Section 501(r) includes additional
requirements a hospital organization
must meet to qualify for tax exemption
under section 501(c)(3) in tax years
beginning after March 23, 2010. These
additional requirements address a hospital
organization's financial assistance policy;
policy relating to emergency medical care;
billing and collections; and charges for
medical care. Also, for tax years beginning
after March 23, 2012, the Affordable Care
Act requires hospital organizations to
conduct community health needs
assessments.
Because section 501(r) requires a
hospital organization to meet these
requirements for each of its hospital
facilities, Part V, Facility Information, has
been expanded to include a Section A,
Hospital Facilities. In this section, a
hospital organization must list its hospital
facilities; that is, its facilities that, at any
time during the tax year, were required to
be licensed, registered, or similarly
recognized as a hospital under state law.
Part V also includes Section B, Facility
Policies and Practices, for reporting of
information on policies and practices
addressed in section 501(r). The hospital
organization must complete a separate
Section B for each of its hospital facilities
or facility reporting groups listed in
Section A.
Section 6033(b)(15)(B) also requires
hospital organizations to submit a copy of
their audited financial statements to the
IRS. Accordingly, a hospital organization
that is required to file Form 990 must
attach a copy of its most recent audited
financial statements to its Form 990. If the
organization was included in consolidated
audited financial statements but not
separate audited financial statements for
the tax year, then it must attach a copy of
the consolidated financial statements,
including details of consolidation. See the
Instructions for Form 990, Part IV,
line 20b.
Part V, Section D, requires an
organization to list all of its non-hospital
health care facilities that it operated during
the tax year, whether or not such facilities
were required to be licensed or registered
Cat. No. 51526B

under state law. The organization
shouldn't complete Part V, Section B, for
any of these non-hospital facilities.
Sec. 501(r) final regulations are

TIP effective for tax years beginning
after 12/29/15.

Purpose of Schedule

Hospital organizations use Schedule H
(Form 990) to provide information on the
activities and policies of, and community
benefit provided by, its hospital facilities
and other non-hospital health care
facilities that it operated during the tax
year. This includes facilities operated
either directly or through disregarded
entities or joint ventures.

Who Must File

An organization that answered “Yes” on
Form 990, Part IV, line 20a, must
complete and attach Schedule H to Form
990.

Schedule H (Form 990) must be
completed by a hospital organization
that operated at any time during the tax
year at least one hospital facility. A
hospital facility is one that is required to be
licensed, registered, or similarly
recognized by a state as a hospital. A
hospital organization may treat multiple
buildings operated by a hospital
organization under a single state license
as a single hospital facility.
The organization must file a single
Schedule H (Form 990) that combines
information from:
1. Hospital facilities directly
operated by the organization.
2. Hospital facilities operated by
disregarded entities of which the
organization is the sole member.
3. Other health care facilities and
programs of the hospital organization or
any of the entities described in 1 or 2,
even if provided separately from the
hospital's license.
4. Hospital facilities and other health
care facilities and programs operated by
any joint venture treated as a
partnership, to the extent of the hospital
organization's proportionate share of the
joint venture.

“Proportionate share” is defined as the
ending capital account percentage listed
on the Schedule K-1 (Form 1065),
Partner's Share of Income, Deductions,
Credits, etc., Part II, line J, for the
partnership tax year ending in the
organization's tax year being reported on
the organization's Form 990. If
Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) isn't available,
the organization can use other business
records to make a reasonable estimate,
including the most recently available
Schedule K-1 (Form 1065), adjusted as
appropriate to reflect facts known to the
organization, or information used for
purposes of determining its proportionate
share of the venture for the organization's
financial statements.
5. In the case of a group return filed
by the hospital organization, hospital
facilities operated directly by members of
the group exemption included in the
group return, hospital facilities operated by
a disregarded entity of which a member
included in the group return is the sole
member, hospital facilities operated by a
joint venture treated as a partnership to
the extent of the group member's
proportionate share (determined in the
manner described in 4, earlier), and other
health care facilities or programs of a
member included in the group return even
if such programs are provided separately
from the hospital's license.
Example. The organization is the sole
member of a disregarded entity. The
disregarded entity owns 50% of a joint
venture treated as a partnership. The
partnership in turn owns 50% of another
joint venture treated as a partnership that
operates a hospital and a freestanding
outpatient clinic that isn't part of the
hospital's license. (Assume the
proportionate shares of the partnerships
based on capital account percentages
listed on the partnerships' Schedule K-1
(Form 1065), Part II, line J, are also 50%.)
The organization would report 25% (50%
of 50%) of the hospital's and outpatient
clinic's combined information on
Schedule H (Form 990).
Note that while information from all the
above sources is combined for purposes
of Schedule H (Form 990), the
organization is required to list and provide
information regarding each of its hospital
facilities in Part V, Sections A, B, and C,
whether operated directly by the
organization or through a disregarded
entity or joint venture treated as a
partnership. In addition, the organization
must list in Part V, Section D, each of its
other health care facilities (for example,
rehabilitation clinics, other outpatient
clinics, diagnostic centers, skilled nursing
facilities) that it operated during the tax
year, whether operated directly by the
organization or through a disregarded

entity or a joint venture treated as a
partnership.
Organizations aren't to enter
information from hospitals located outside
the United States in Parts I, II, III, or V.
Information from foreign joint ventures and
partnerships must be reported in Part IV,
Management Companies and Joint
Ventures. Information concerning foreign
hospitals and facilities may be described
in Part VI.
Except as provided in Part IV, don't
report on Schedule H (Form 990)
information from an entity organized as a
separate legal entity from the organization
and treated as a corporation for federal
income tax purposes (except for members
of a group exemption included in a group
return filed by the organization), even if
such entity is affiliated with or otherwise
related to the organization (for example,
part of an affiliated health care system).
If an organization isn't required to file Form
990 but chooses to do so, it must file a
complete return and provide all of the
information requested, including the
required schedules.
An organization that didn't operate one or
more facilities during the tax year that
satisfy the definition of hospital facility
above shouldn't file Schedule H (Form
990).
The definition of “hospital” for

TIP Schedule A (Form 990), Public

Charity Status and Public Support,
Part I, line 3, and the definition of “hospital”
for Schedule H (Form 990) aren't the
same. Accordingly, an organization that
checks box 3 in Part I of Schedule A (Form
990) to enter that it is a hospital or
cooperative hospital service organization,
must complete and attach Schedule H to
Form 990 only if it meets the definition of
hospital facility for purposes of
Schedule H (Form 990), as explained
above.

Specific Instructions
Part I. Financial
Assistance and Certain
Other Community Benefits
at Cost

Part I requires reporting of financial
assistance policies, the availability of
community benefit reports, and the cost of
financial assistance and other community
benefit activities and programs.
Worksheets and accompanying
instructions are provided at the end of the
instructions to this schedule to assist in
completing the table in Part I, line 7.
Line 1. A financial assistance policy
(FAP), sometimes referred to as a charity
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care policy, is a policy describing how the
organization will provide financial
assistance at its hospital(s) and other
facilities, if any. Financial assistance
includes free or discounted health
services provided to persons who meet
the organization's criteria for financial
assistance and are unable to pay for all or
a portion of the services. Financial
assistance doesn't include: bad debt or
uncollectible charges that the organization
recorded as revenue but wrote off due to a
patient's failure to pay, or the cost of
providing such care to such patients; the
difference between the cost of care
provided under Medicaid or other
means-tested government programs or
under Medicare and the revenue derived
therefrom; self-pay or prompt pay
discounts; or contractual adjustments with
any third-party payors.
Line 2. Check only one of the three
boxes. “Applied uniformly to all hospitals”
means that all of the organization's
hospital facilities use the same financial
assistance policy. “Applied uniformly to
most hospitals” means that the majority of
the organization's hospital facilities use
the same financial assistance policy.
“Generally tailored to individual hospitals”
means that the majority of the
organization's hospital facilities use
different financial assistance policies. If
the organization operates only one
hospital facility, check “Applied uniformly
to all hospitals.”
Line 3. Answer lines 3a, 3b, and 3c,
based on the financial assistance eligibility
criteria that apply to (1) the largest number
of the organization's patients based on
patient contacts or encounters, or (2) if the
organization doesn't operate its own
hospital facility, the largest number of
patients of a hospital facility operated by a
joint venture in which the organization
has an ownership interest. For example, if
the organization has two hospital facilities,
use the financial assistance eligibility
criteria used by the hospital facility that
has the most patient contacts or
encounters during the tax year.
Line 3a. “Federal Poverty Guidelines”
(FPG) are the Federal Poverty Guidelines
published annually by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services. If the organization has
established a family or household income
threshold that a patient must meet or fall
below to qualify for free medical care,
check the box in the “Yes” column and
indicate the specific threshold by checking
the appropriate box. For instance, if a
patient's family or household income must
be less than or equal to 250% of FPG for
the patient to qualify for free care, then
check the box marked “Other” and enter
“250%.”

Instructions for Schedule H

Line 3b. If the organization has
established a family or household income
threshold that a patient must meet or fall
below to qualify for discounted medical
care, check the box in the “Yes” column
and indicate the specific threshold by
checking the appropriate box.
Line 3c. If applicable, describe the
other criteria used, such as asset test or
other means test or threshold for free or
discounted care, on Part VI, line 1, of this
schedule. An “asset test” includes (i) a
limit on the amount of total or liquid assets
that a patient or the patient's family or
household can own for the patient to
qualify for free or discounted care, and/or
(ii) a criterion for determining the level of
discounted medical care patients can
receive, depending on the amount of
assets that they and/or their families or
households own.
Line 4. “Medically indigent” means
persons whom the organization has
determined are unable to pay some or all
of their medical bills because their medical
bills exceed a certain percentage of their
family or household income or assets (for
example, due to catastrophic costs or
conditions), even though they have
income or assets that otherwise exceed
the generally applicable eligibility
requirements for free or discounted care
under the organization's financial
assistance policy.
Line 5. Answer lines 5a, 5b, and 5c
based on the organization's budgeted
amounts under its financial assistance
policy.
Line 5a. Answer “Yes” if the
organization established or had in place at
any time during the tax year an annual or
periodic budgeted amount of free or
discounted care to be provided under its
financial assistance policy. If “No,” skip to
line 6a.
Line 5b. Answer “Yes” if the free or
discounted care the organization provided
in the applicable period exceeded the
budgeted amount of costs or charges for
that period. If “No,” skip to line 6a.
Line 5c. Answer “Yes” if the
organization denied financial assistance to
any patient eligible for free or discounted
care under its financial assistance policy
or under any of its hospital facilities'
financial assistance policies because the
organization's or the facility's financial
assistance budget was exceeded.
Line 6. Answer lines 6a and 6b based on
the community benefit report that the
organization prepared for the organization
as a whole during the tax year.
Line 6a. Answer “Yes” if the
organization prepared a written report
during the tax year that describes the
Instructions for Schedule H

organization's programs and services that
promote the health of the community or
communities served by the organization. If
the organization's community benefit
report is contained in a report prepared by
a related organization, answer “Yes” and
identify the related organization on Part VI,
line 1. If “No,” skip to line 7.
Line 6b. Answer “Yes” if the
organization made the community benefit
report it prepared during the tax year
available to the public.
Examples of how an organization

TIP can make its community benefit

report available to the public are:
to post the report on the organization's
website and to make a paper copy of the
community health needs assessment
(CHNA) report available for public
inspection upon request and without
charge at the hospital facility.
Lines 7a through 7k. Enter on the table
(lines 7a through 7k), at cost, the
organization's financial assistance (as
defined in the instructions for line 1) and
certain other community benefits. Enter on
line 7i contributions that the organization
restricts, in writing, to one or more of the
community benefit activities listed on lines
7a through 7h. Don't enter such
contributions on lines 7a through 7h. To
calculate the amounts to be entered on
the table, use the worksheets or other
equivalent documentation that
substantiates the information entered
consistent with the methodology used on
the worksheets. See the instructions to the
worksheets for definitions of the various
types of community benefit (for example,
community health improvement services,
health professions education, subsidized
health services, research, etc.) to be
entered on lines 7a through 7k. Don’t
include bad debt in these amounts. Bad
debt will be entered in Part III.
If the organization completed

TIP worksheets other than on a

combined basis (for example,
facility by facility, joint venture by joint
venture), the organization should combine
all information from these worksheets for
purposes of entering amounts on the
table. Only the portion of each joint
venture or partnership that represents the
organization's proportionate share, based
on capital interest, can be entered on lines
7a through 7k. See Purpose of Schedule
for instructions on aggregation.
Use the organization's most accurate
costing methodology (cost accounting
system, cost-to-charge ratio, or other) to
calculate the amounts entered on the
table. If the organization uses a
cost-to-charge ratio, it can use Worksheet
2, Ratio of Patient Care Cost to Charges,
for this purpose. See the instructions for
-3-

Part VI, line 1, regarding an explanation of
the costing methodology used to calculate
the amounts entered on the table.
If the organization included any costs
for a physician clinic as subsidized health
services on Part I, line 7g, enter these
costs on Part VI, line 1.
If the organization included any bad
debt expense on Form 990, Part IX,
line 25, but subtracted this bad debt for
purposes of calculating the amount
entered on line 7, column (f), enter this
bad debt expense on Part VI, line 1.
The following are descriptions of the
type of information reported in each
column of the table.
Column (a). “Number of activities or
programs” means the number of the
organization's activities or programs
conducted during the year that involve the
community benefit entered on the line.
Enter each activity and program on only
one line so that it isn't counted more than
once. Entering in this column is optional.
Column (b). “Persons served” means
the number of patient contacts or
encounters in accordance with the filing
organization's records. Persons served
can be entered in multiple rows, as
services across different categories may
be provided to the same patient. Entering
in this column is optional.
Column (c). “Total community benefit
expense” means the total gross expense
of the activity incurred during the year,
calculated by using the pertinent
worksheets for each line item. “Total
community benefit expense” includes both
“direct costs” and “indirect costs. ”“ Direct
costs” means salaries and benefits,
supplies, and other expenses directly
related to the actual conduct of each
activity or program. “Indirect costs” means
costs that are shared by multiple activities
or programs, such as facilities and
administrative costs related to the
organization's infrastructure (space,
utilities, custodial services, security,
information systems, administration,
materials management, and others).
Column (d). “Direct offsetting
revenue” means revenue from the activity
during the year that offsets the total
community benefit expense of that activity,
as calculated on the worksheets for each
line item. “Direct offsetting revenue”
includes any revenue generated by the
activity or program, such as payment or
reimbursement for services provided to
program patients.
“Direct offsetting revenue” also includes
restricted grants or contributions that the
organization uses to provide a community
benefit, such as a restricted grant to
provide financial assistance or fund
research. “Direct offsetting revenue”

doesn't include unrestricted grants or
contributions that the organization uses to
provide a community benefit.
Organizations may describe any
inconsistencies from reporting in prior
years in Part VI.
Examples. The organization receives
a restricted grant from an unrelated
organization that must be used by the
organization to provide financial
assistance. The amount of the restricted
grant is entered as direct offsetting
revenue on line 7a, column (d).
The organization receives an
unrestricted grant from an unrelated
organization. The organization decides to
use the grant to increase the amount of
financial assistance it provides. The
amount of the unrestricted grant isn't
entered as direct offsetting revenue on
line 7a, column (d).
Columns (e) and (f). Don't enter
negative numbers. If the net community
benefit expense is less than $0, enter “0.”
Similarly, don't enter a negative percent in
column (f), but enter “0.”
Group return filers. The “total
expense” denominator for purposes of
determining the percent of total expense
for column (f) is the amount entered on
Form 990, Part IX, line 25, column (A), of
the group return.
Column (f) “percent of total

TIP expense” is based on column (e)

“net community benefit expense,”
rather than column (c) “total community
benefit expense.” Organizations that enter
amounts of direct offsetting revenue might
also wish to enter total community benefit
expense (Part I, line 7, column (c)) as a
percentage of total expenses. Although
this percentage cannot be entered on Part
I, line 7, column(f), it can be entered on
Schedule H (Form 990), Part VI, line 1.

Optional Worksheets for
Part I, Line 7 (Financial
Assistance and Certain
Other Community Benefits
at Cost)

Worksheets 1 through 8 are intended to
assist the organization in completing
Schedule H (Form 990), Part I, lines 7a
through 7k. Use of the worksheets isn't
required and they shouldn't be filed with
Form 990. The organization can use
alternative equivalent documentation,
provided that the methodology described
in these instructions (including the
instructions to the worksheets) is followed.
Regardless of whether the worksheets or
alternative equivalent documentation is
used to compile and enter the required
information, such documentation must be
retained by the organization to

substantiate the information entered on
Schedule H (Form 990). The worksheets
or alternative equivalent documentation
are to be completed using the
organization's most accurate costing
methodology, which can include a cost
accounting system, cost-to-charge ratios,
a combination thereof, or some other
method.
If the organization is filing a group
return or has a disregarded entity or an
ownership interest in one or more joint
ventures, the organization may find it
helpful to complete the worksheets
separately for the organization and for
each disregarded entity, joint venture in
which the organization had an ownership
interest during the tax year, and group
affiliate. In that case, the organization
should combine all information from the
worksheets for purposes of completing
line 7. Complete the table by combining
amounts from the organization's
worksheets, amounts from disregarded
entities or group affiliates, and amounts
from joint ventures that are attributable to
the organization's proportionate share of
each joint venture, under the aggregation
instruction in Purpose of Schedule.
See Worksheets 1 through 8 and
specific instructions for the worksheets
later in these instructions.

Part II. Community
Building Activities

Enter in this part the costs of the
organization's activities that it engaged in
during the tax year to protect or improve
the community's health or safety, and that
aren't entered in Part I of this schedule.
Some community building activities may
also meet the definition of community
benefit. Don't enter in Part II community
building costs that are entered on Part I,
line 7, as community benefit (costs of a
community health improvement service
entered on Part I, line 7e). An organization
that enters information in this Part II must
describe in Part VI how its community
building activities promote the health of
the communities it serves.
If the filing organization makes a grant
to an organization to be used to
accomplish one of the community building
activities listed in this part, then the
organization should include the amount of
the grant on the appropriate line in Part II.
If the organization makes a grant to a joint
venture in which it has an ownership
interest to be used to accomplish one of
the community building activities listed in
this part, enter the grant on the
appropriate line in Part II, but don't include
in Part II the organization's proportionate
share of the amount spent by the joint
venture on such activities to avoid double
counting.
-4-

Line 1. “Physical improvements and
housing” include, but aren't limited to, the
provision or rehabilitation of housing for
vulnerable populations, such as removing
building materials that harm the health of
the residents, neighborhood improvement
or revitalization projects, provision of
housing for vulnerable patients upon
discharge from an inpatient facility,
housing for low-income seniors, and the
development or maintenance of parks and
playgrounds to promote physical activity.
Line 2. “Economic development” can
include, but isn't limited to, assisting small
business development in neighborhoods
with vulnerable populations and creating
new employment opportunities in areas
with high rates of joblessness.
Line 3. “Community support” can include,
but isn't limited to, child care and
mentoring programs for vulnerable
populations or neighborhoods,
neighborhood support groups, violence
prevention programs, and disaster
readiness and public health emergency
activities, such as community disease
surveillance or readiness training beyond
what is required by accrediting bodies or
government entities.
Line 4. “Environmental improvements”
include, but aren't limited to, activities to
address environmental hazards that affect
community health, such as alleviation of
water or air pollution, safe removal or
treatment of garbage or other waste
products, and other activities to protect the
community from environmental hazards.
The organization cannot include on this
line or in this part expenditures made to
comply with environmental laws and
regulations that apply to activities of itself,
its disregarded entity or entities, a joint
venture in which it has an ownership
interest, or a member of a group
exemption included in a group return of
which the organization is also a member.
Similarly, the organization cannot include
on this line or in this part expenditures
made to reduce the environmental
hazards caused by, or the environmental
impact of, its own activities, or those of its
disregarded entities, joint ventures, or
group exemption members, unless the
expenditures are for an environmental
improvement activity that (i) is provided for
the primary purpose of improving
community health; (ii) addresses an
environmental issue known to affect
community health; and (iii) is subsidized
by the organization at a net loss. An
expenditure may not be entered on this
line if the organization engages in the
activity primarily for marketing purposes.
Line 5. “Leadership development and
training for community members” includes,
but isn't limited to, training in conflict
resolution; civic, cultural, or language
Instructions for Schedule H

skills; and medical interpreter skills for
community residents.
Line 6. “Coalition building” includes, but
isn't limited to, participation in community
coalitions and other collaborative efforts
with the community to address health and
safety issues.
Line 7. “Community health improvement
advocacy” includes, but isn't limited to,
efforts to support policies and programs to
safeguard or improve public health,
access to health care services, housing,
the environment, and transportation.
Line 8. “Workforce development”
includes, but isn't limited to, recruitment of
physicians and other health professionals
to medical shortage areas or other areas
designated as underserved, and
collaboration with educational institutions
to train and recruit health professionals
needed in the community (other than the
health professions education activities
entered on Part I, line 7f).
Line 9. “Other” refers to community
building activities that protect or improve
the community's health or safety that
aren't described in the categories listed on
lines 1 through 8 above.
Refer to the instructions to Part I, line 7,
columns (a) through (f), for descriptions of
the types of information that should be
entered in each column of Part II.
If the organization is filing a group
return or has a disregarded entity or an
ownership interest in one or more joint
ventures, the organization may find it
helpful to complete Part II separately for
itself and for each disregarded entity, joint
venture in which the organization had an
ownership interest during the tax year, and
group affiliate. The organization should
combine the amounts from all such tables,
according to the combined instructions in
Purpose of Schedule, and include the
combined information in Part II.

Part III. Bad Debt,
Medicare, & Collection
Practices
Section A.

In this section, (a) enter combined bad
debt expense; (b) provide an estimate of
how much bad debt expense, if any,
reasonably could be attributable to
persons who likely would qualify for
financial assistance under the
organization’s financial assistance policy;
and (c) provide a rationale for what portion
of bad debt, if any, the organization
believes is community benefit. In addition,
the organization must enter whether it has
adopted Healthcare Financial
Management Association Statement No.
15, Valuation and Financial Statement
Presentation of Charity Care and Bad

Instructions for Schedule H

Debts by Institutional Healthcare
Providers (“Statement 15”) and provide
the text or page number of its footnote, if
applicable, to its audited financial
statements that describes the bad debt
expense.
Line 1. Indicate if the organization enters
bad debt expense in accordance with
Statement 15.
Note. Statement 15 hasn't been adopted
by the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants (AICPA). The IRS
doesn't require organizations to adopt
Statement 15 or use it to determine bad
debt expense or financial assistance
costs. Some organizations may rely on
Statement 15 in reporting bad debt
expense and financial assistance in their
audited financial statements. Statement
15 provides instructions for
recordkeeping, valuation, and disclosure
for bad debts.
Line 2. Use the most accurate system
and methodology available to the
organization to enter bad debt expense. If
only a portion of a patient’s bill for services
is written off as a bad debt, include only
the proportionate amount attributable to
the bad debt. Include the organization’s
proportionate share of the bad debt
expense of joint ventures in which it had
an ownership interest during the tax year.
Describe in Part VI the methodology
used in determining the amount entered
on line 2 as bad debt, including how the
organization accounted for discounts and
payments on patient accounts in
determining bad debt expense.
Line 3. Provide an estimate of the
amount of bad debt entered on line 2 that
reasonably is attributable to patients who
likely would qualify for financial assistance
under the hospital's financial assistance
policy as entered on Part I, lines 1 through
4, but for whom insufficient information
was obtained to determine their eligibility.
Don't include this amount in Part I,
line 7. Organizations can use any
reasonable methodology to estimate this
amount, such as record reviews, an
assessment of financial assistance
applications that were denied due to
incomplete documentation, analysis of
demographics, or other analytical
methods.
Describe in Part VI the methodology
used to determine the amount entered on
line 3 and the rationale, if any, for
including any portion of bad debt as
community benefit.
Line 4. In Part VI, provide the footnote
from the organization's audited financial
statements on bad debt expense, if
applicable, or the footnotes related to
“accounts receivable,” “allowance for
doubtful accounts,” or similar
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designations. Alternatively, enter the page
number(s) on which the footnote or
footnotes appear in the organization's
most recent audited financial statements,
which must be attached to this return. If
the footnote or footnotes address only the
filing organization's bad debt expense or
“accounts receivable,” “allowance for
doubtful accounts,” or similar
designations, provide the exact wording of
the footnote or footnotes, or enter the
page number(s) in which the footnote or
footnotes appear in the attached audited
financial statements.
If the organization's financial
statements include a footnote on these
issues that also includes other
information, enter in Part VI only the
relevant portions of the footnote. If the
organization is a member of a group with
consolidated financial statements, the
organization can summarize that portion, if
any, of the footnote or footnotes that
apply. If the organization's financial
statements don't include a footnote that
discusses bad debt expense, “accounts
receivable,” "allowance for doubtful
accounts," or similar designations, include
a statement in Part VI that the
organization's audited financial
statements don't include a footnote
discussing these issues and explain how
the organization's financial statements
account for bad debt, if at all.

Section B

In this section, (a) combine allowable
costs to provide services reimbursed by
Medicare (don't include community benefit
costs included on Part I, line 7I), (b)
combine Medicare reimbursements
attributable to such costs, and (c) combine
Medicare surplus or shortfall. Include in
Section B only those allowable costs and
Medicare reimbursements that are
reported in the organization's Medicare
Cost Report(s) for the year, including its
share of any such allowable costs and
reimbursement from disregarded
entities and joint ventures in which it
has an ownership interest. Don't include
any Medicare-related expenses or
revenue properly entered on Part I, line 7f
or 7g.
In Part VI, the organization should
describe what portion of its Medicare
shortfall, if any, it believes should
constitute community benefit, and explain
its rationale for its position. As described
below, the organization can also enter in
Part VI the amount of any Medicare
revenues and costs not included in its
Medicare Cost Report(s) for the year, and
can enter a reconciliation of the amounts
entered in Section B (including the surplus
or shortfall entered on line 7) and the total
revenues and costs attributable to all of
the organization's Medicare programs.

Line 5. Enter all net patient service
revenue (for Medicare fee for service
(FFS) patients) associated with the
allowable costs the organization entered
in its Medicare Cost Report(s) for the year,
including payments for indirect medical
education (IME) (except for Medicare
Advantage IME), Medicare
disproportionate share hospital (DSH)
revenue, coinsurance, patient deductible,
outliers, capital, bad debt, and any other
amounts paid to the organization on the
basis of its Medicare Cost Report. Don't
include revenue related to subsidized
health services as entered on Part I,
line 7g (see Worksheet 6), research as
entered on Part I, line 7h (see Worksheet
7), or direct graduate medical education
(GME) as entered on Part I, line 7f (see
Worksheet 5). If the organization has more
than one Medicare provider number,
combine the revenue attributable to costs
reported on the Medicare Cost Report(s)
submitted under each provider number,
and enter the combined revenues on
line 5.

Line 7. Subtract line 6 from the amount
on line 5. If line 6 exceeds line 5, enter the
surplus (the shortfall) as a negative
number.
Lines 5, 6, and 7 don't include

TIP certain Medicare program

revenues and costs, and thus
cannot reflect all of the organization's
revenues and costs associated with its
participation in Medicare programs. The
organization can describe in Part VI the
Medicare revenues and costs not included
in its Medicare Cost Report(s) for the year
(for example, revenues and costs for
freestanding ambulatory surgery centers,
physician services billed by the
organization, clinical laboratory services,
and revenues and costs of Medicare Part
C and Part D programs). The organization
can enter on Part VI, line 1, a
reconciliation of amounts entered in
Section B (including the surplus or
shortfall entered on line 7) and all of the
organization's total revenues and total
expenses attributable to Medicare
programs.

Line 6. Enter all Medicare allowable costs
reported in the organization's Medicare
Cost Report(s), except those already
entered on line 7g, Part I (subsidized
health services), and costs associated
with direct GME already entered on line 7f,
Part I (health professions education). This
can be determined using Worksheet A. If
Worksheet A isn't used, the organization
still must subtract the costs attributable to
subsidized health services and direct
GME from the Medicare allowable costs it
enters on line 6. If the organization has
more than one Medicare provider number,
it should combine the costs reported in the
Medicare Cost Report(s) submitted under
each provider number and enter the
combined costs on line 6.

Line 8. Check the box that best describes
the costing methodology used to enter the
Medicare allowable costs on line 6.
Describe this methodology in Part VI.
The organization must also describe in
Part VI its rationale for treating the amount
entered on Part III, line 7, or any portion of
it, as a community benefit. An
organization's rationale must have a
reasonable basis. Don't include this
amount on Part I, line 7.
If the organization received any prior
year settlements for Medicare-related
services in the current tax year, it can
provide an explanation on Part VI, line 1.

Worksheet A (Optional)

In this section, enter the organization's
written debt collection policy.

Worksheet A (Optional)
Complete Worksheets 5 and 6 before
completing this Worksheet A.
1.
2.

3.

4.

5.

Total Medicare allowable costs
(from Medicare Cost Report) . .
Total Medicare allowable costs
(from line 1) included in
Worksheet 6, line 3, col. (A) . .
Total Medicare allowable costs
(from line 1) included in
Worksheet 5, line 8 (direct
GME) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Total adjustments to Medicare
allowable costs (add lines 2 and
3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Total Medicare allowable costs
(line 1 minus line 4).
Enter this value in Part III,
line 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

$

$

$

$

$

Section C.

Line 9a. Answer “Yes” if the organization
had a written debt collection policy on the
collection of amounts owed by patients
during its tax year.
For purposes of line 9a, a “written debt
collection policy” includes a written billing
and collections policy, or in the case of an
organization that doesn't have a separate
written billing and collections policy, a
written financial assistance policy that
includes the actions the organization may
take in the event of non-payment,
including collection actions and reporting
to credit agencies.
Line 9b. Answer “Yes” if the
organization's written debt collection
policy that applied to the facilities that
served the largest number of the
organization's patients during the tax year
contained provisions for collecting
amounts due from those patients who the
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organization knows qualify for financial
assistance. If the organization answers
“Yes,” describe in Part VI the collection
practices that it follows for such patients,
whether or not such practices apply
specifically to such patients or more
broadly to also cover other types of
patients.

Part IV. Management
Companies and Joint
Ventures Owned 10% or
More by Officers,
Directors, Trustees, Key
Employees, and
Physicians

List any management company, joint
venture, or other separate entity (whether
treated as a partnership or a corporation),
including joint ventures outside of the
United States, of which the organization
is a partner or shareholder:
1. In which persons described in 1a
and/or 1b below owned, in the aggregate,
more than 10% of the share of profits of
such partnership or LLC interest, or stock
of the corporation:
a. Persons who were officers,
directors, trustees, or key employees
of the organization at any time during the
organization's tax year, and/or
b. Physicians who were employed as
physicians by, or had staff privileges with,
one or more of the organization's
hospitals; and
2. That either:
a. Provided management services
used by the organization in its provision of
medical care, or
b. Provided medical care, or owned or
provided real property, tangible personal
property, or intangible property used by
the organization or by others to provide
medical care.
Examples of such joint ventures and
management companies include:
• An ancillary joint venture formed by the
organization and its officers or physicians
to conduct an exempt or unrelated
business activity,
• A company owned by the organization
and its officers or physicians that owns
and leases to the organization a hospital
or other medical care facility, and
• A company that owns and leases to
entities other than the organization’s
diagnostic equipment or intellectual
property used to provide medical care.
For purposes of Part IV, ownership
interests can be direct or indirect. For
example, if a joint venture reported in Part
IV is owned, in part, by a physician group
practice owned by staff physicians of the
organization's hospital, report the
Instructions for Schedule H

physicians' indirect ownership interest in
the joint venture in proportion to their
ownership share of the physician group
practice.
Note. Don't include publicly traded
entities or entities whose sole income is
passive investment income from interest
or dividends.
For purposes of Part IV, the aggregate
percentage share of profits or stock
ownership percentage of officers,
directors, trustees, key employees, and
physicians who are employed as
physicians by, or have staff privileges with,
one or more of the organization's hospitals
is measured as of the earlier of the close
of the tax year of the organization or the
last day the organization was a member of
the joint venture. All stock, whether
common or preferred, is considered stock
for purposes of determining the stock
ownership percentage. Provide all the
information requested below for each such
entity.
Column (a). Enter the full legal name of
the entity.
Column (b). Describe the primary
business activity or activities conducted by
the management company, joint
venture, or separate entity.
Column (c). Enter the organization's
percentage share of profits in the
partnership or LLC, or stock in the entity
that is owned by the organization.
Column (d). Enter the percentage share
of profits or stock in the entity owned by all
of the organization's current officers,
directors, trustees, or key employees.
Column (e). Enter the percentage share
of profits or stock in the entity owned by all
physicians who are employees practicing
as physicians or who have staff privileges
with one or more of the organization's
hospitals.
If a physician described above is also a
current officer, director, trustee, or key
employee of the organization, include his
or her profits or stock percentage in
column (d). Don't include this in column
(e).
Part IV can be duplicated if more space
is needed to list additional management
companies and joint ventures.

Part V. Facility Information

In Part V, the organization must list all of
its hospital facilities in Section A,
complete separate Sections B, and C for
each of its hospital facilities or facility
reporting groups listed in Section A, and
list its non-hospital health care facilities in
Section D.
Facility reporting groups. If the
organization is able to check the same
checkboxes for all Part V, Section B,
Instructions for Schedule H

questions for more than one of its hospital
facilities, it may file a single Section B and
Section C for all facilities in that facility
reporting group. For each of those
facilities, the organization would assign
and list the facility reporting group letter in
the “Facility reporting group” column in
Section A. Assign letter A to the facility
reporting group with the greatest number
of facilities, letter B to the group with the
second greatest number of facilities, and
so forth. For instance, three hospital
facilities with identical answers to the
Section B checkboxes would be assigned
facility group letter A, while two other
hospital facilities with identical answers
would be assigned facility group letter B.

Section A

Complete Part V, Section A, by listing all
of the organization's hospital facilities
that it operated during the tax year. List
these facilities in order of size from largest
to smallest, measured by a reasonable
method (for example, the number of
patients served or total revenue per
facility). “Hospital facilities” are facilities
that, at any time during the tax year, were
required to be licensed, registered, or
similarly recognized as a hospital under
state law. A hospital facility is operated by
an organization whether the facility is
operated directly by the organization or
through a disregarded entity or joint
venture treated as a partnership. For
each hospital facility, list its name,
address, primary website address, and
state license number (and if a group
return, the name and employer
identification number (EIN) of the
subordinate hospital organization that
operates the hospital facility), and check
the applicable column(s).
“Licensed hospital” is a facility
licensed, registered, or similarly
recognized by a state as a hospital.
“General medical and surgical” refers
to a hospital primarily engaged in
providing diagnostic and medical
treatment (both surgical and nonsurgical)
to inpatients with a wide variety of medical
conditions, and that may provide
outpatient services, anatomical pathology
services, diagnostic X-ray services,
clinical laboratory services, operating
room services, and pharmacy services.
“Children's hospital” is a center for
provision of health care to children, and
includes independent acute care
children's hospitals, children's hospitals
within larger medical centers, and
independent children's specialty and
rehabilitation hospitals.
“Teaching hospital” is a hospital that
provides training to medical students,
interns, residents, fellows, nurses, or other
health professionals and providers,
provided that such educational programs
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are accredited by the appropriate national
accrediting body.
“Critical access hospital” (CAH) is a
hospital designated as a CAH by a state
that has established a State Medicare
Rural Hospital Flexibility Program in
accordance with Medicare rules.
“Research facility” is a facility that
conducts research.
“ER—24 hours” refers to a facility that
operates an emergency room 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year.
“ER—other” refers to a facility that
operates an emergency room for periods
less than 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Complete the “Other (describe)”
column for each hospital facility that the
organization operates that isn't described
in the other columns of Part V, Section A.
In the upper left-hand corner of the Part
V, Section A, table, list the total number of
hospital facilities that the organization
operated during the tax year.
If the organization needs additional
space to list all of its hospital facilities, it
should duplicate Section A and use as
many duplicate copies of Section A as
needed, number each page, and
renumber the line numbers in the left-hand
margin (an organization with 15 facilities
should renumber lines 1–5 on the 2nd
page as lines 11–15).

Section B

Section B requires reporting on a hospital
facility by hospital facility basis. The
organization must complete a Section B
for each of its hospital facilities or facility
reporting groups listed in Section A. At the
top of each page of Section B, list the
name of the hospital facility or the facility
reporting group letter. In the space
provided, list the line number of the
hospital facility, or line numbers of the
hospital facilities in a facility reporting
group (from Part V, Section A).
If the organization could check the
same checkboxes for all Part V, Section B,
questions for more than one of its hospital
facilities, it may file a single Section B for
all facilities in that facility reporting group.
References in these Section B
instructions to a “hospital facility” taking a
certain action mean that the hospital
organization took action through or on
behalf of the hospital facility.
Line 1. Answer “Yes” if the hospital
facility was first licensed, registered, or
similarly recognized by a state as a
hospital facility in the current tax year or
the immediately preceding tax year.
Line 2. Answer “Yes” if the hospital
facility was acquired or placed into
service as a tax-exempt hospital in the

current tax year or the immediately
preceding tax year. If “Yes,” provide
details in Section C.
Lines 3 through 12c. A community
health needs assessment (CHNA) is an
assessment of the significant health needs
of the community. To meet the
requirements of section 501(r)(3), a CHNA
must take into account input from persons
who represent the broad interests of the
community served by the hospital facility,
including those with special knowledge of
or expertise in public health, and must be
made widely available to the public. Each
hospital facility must conduct a CHNA at
least once every 3 years, and adopt an
implementation strategy to meet the
community health needs identified through
such CHNA.
Line 3. Answer “Yes” if the hospital
facility conducted a CHNA in the current
tax year or in either of the 2 immediately
preceding tax years. If “Yes,” indicate
what the CHNA describes by checking all
applicable boxes. If the CHNA describes
information that doesn't have a
corresponding checkbox, check line 3j,
“Other,” and describe this information in
Part V, Section C. If “No,” skip to line 12.
Note. Notice 2020-56 provided a
postponement, until December 31, 2020,
of the deadline for performing any CHNA
requirement due to be completed on or
after April 1, 2020, and before December
31, 2020. If you utilized this relief, treat the
completed CHNA as having been
completed in the tax year in which it would
have been due in the absence of any relief
when answering line 3 and line 4.
Line 3a. Check this box if the CHNA
report defines the community served by
the hospital facility and a description of
how the community was determined.
Line 3c. Check this box if the CHNA
report describes the resources potentially
available to address the significant health
needs identified through the CHNA,
including existing health care facilities and
resources within the community that are
available to respond to the health needs of
the community.
Line 3d. Check this box if the CHNA
report describes the process and methods
used to conduct the CHNA.
Line 3e. In Part V, Section C, indicate if
the significant health needs are a
prioritized description of the significant
health needs of the community and
identified through the CHNA. If not,
explain how the health needs identified
will be prioritized.
Line 3g. Check this box if the CHNA
report describes the process and criteria
used in identifying certain health needs as
significant and prioritizing those significant
health needs.

Line 3h. Check this box if the CHNA
report describes how the hospital facility
solicited and took into account input
received from persons who represent the
broad interests of the community it serves.
Line 3i. Check this box if the CHNA
report describes the evaluation of the
impact of any actions that were taken,
since the hospital facility finished
conducting its immediately preceding
CHNA, to address the significant health
needs identified in the hospital facility’s
prior CHNA(s).
Line 5. Answer “Yes” if the hospital
facility took into account input from
persons who represent the broad interests
of the community served by the hospital
facility, including at least one state, local,
tribal, or regional governmental public
health department (or equivalent
department or agency), or a State Office
of Rural Health described in section 338J
of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 254r), with knowledge, information,
or expertise relevant to the health needs of
that community, members of medically
underserved, low-income, and minority
populations in the community served by
the hospital facility, or individuals or
organizations serving or representing the
interests of such populations; and written
comments received on the hospital
facility's most recently conducted CHNA
and most recently adopted
implementation strategy.
If the organization checked “Yes,”
summarize in Part V, Section C, in general
terms, how and over what time period
such input was provided (for example,
whether through meetings, focus groups,
interviews, surveys, or written comments,
and between what dates); the names of
any organizations providing input; and
describe the medically underserved,
low-income, or minority populations being
represented by organizations or
individuals that provided input. A CHNA
report doesn't need to name or otherwise
identify any specific individual providing
input on the CHNA. In the event a hospital
facility solicits, but cannot obtain, input
from a source required by line 5, the
hospital facility's CHNA report must also
describe the hospital facility's efforts to
solicit input from such source.
Line 6a. Answer “Yes,” if the hospital
facility's CHNA was conducted with one
or more other hospital facilities. “One or
more other hospital facilities” includes
related and unrelated hospital facilities. If
“Yes,” list in Part V, Section C, the other
hospital facilities with which the hospital
facility conducted its CHNA.
Line 6b. Answer “Yes,” if the hospital
facility's CHNA was conducted with one
or more organizations other than hospital
facilities. If “Yes,” list in Part V, Section C,
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the other organizations with which the
hospital facility conducted its CHNA.
Line 7. Answer “Yes,” if the hospital
facility made its most recently conducted
CHNA widely available to the public. If
“Yes,” indicate how the hospital facility
made the CHNA widely available to the
public by checking all applicable boxes. If
the hospital facility made the CHNA widely
available to the public by means other
than those listed on lines 7a through 7c,
check line 7d, “Other,” and describe these
means in Part V, Section C.
Line 7a. Check this box if the CHNA was
made available on the hospital facility’s
website or the hospital organization’s
website. If line 7a is checked, list in the
space provided the direct website
address, or URL, where the CHNA can be
accessed.
Line 7b. Check this box if the CHNA was
made available on a website other than
the hospital facility’s website or the
hospital organization’s website. If line 7b is
checked, list in the space provided the
direct website address, or URL, where the
CHNA can be accessed.
Line 7c. Check this box if a paper copy of
the CHNA was made available for public
inspection upon request and without
charge at the hospital facility.
Line 8. Answer “Yes” if the hospital
facility adopted an implementation
strategy to meet the significant health
needs identified through its most recently
conducted CHNA. If “No,” skip to line 11.
Line 10. Answer “Yes” if the hospital
facility’s most recently adopted
implementation strategy is posted on a
website. If “Yes,” answer line 10a. If “No,”
skip to line 10b.
Line 10a. List in the space provided the
direct website address, or URL, where the
implementation strategy can be accessed
and skip to line 11.
Line 10b. Answer “Yes” if the hospital
facility’s most recently adopted
implementation strategy is attached.
Line 11. Explain in Part V, Section C, how
the hospital facility is addressing the
significant needs identified in its most
recently conducted CHNA and any such
needs that aren't being addressed
together with the reasons why such needs
aren't being addressed. For example, a
hospital facility might identify limited
financial or other resources as reasons
why it didn't take action to address a need
identified in its most recently conducted
CHNA.
Line 12a. Answer “Yes” if the
organization was liable, at any time during
the tax year, for the $50,000 excise tax
incurred under section 4959 for failure to
conduct a CHNA and adopt an
Instructions for Schedule H

implementation strategy as required under
section 501(r)(3). Section 501(r)(3)
requires each hospital facility to conduct
a CHNA, in the tax year or in either of the
immediately preceding 2 tax years, that
takes into account input from persons who
represent the broad interests of the
community served by the facility, including
those with special knowledge of or
expertise in public health, and to make the
CHNA widely available to the public.
Section 501(r)(3) also requires each
hospital facility to adopt an implementation
strategy to meet the community health
needs identified through its CHNA.
Line 12b. Answer “Yes” to line 12b if the
organization answered “Yes” to line 12a
and filed ForIf line 12b is “Yes,” report the
total amount of section 4959 excise tax
the organization reported on Form 4720
for all of its hospital facilities that incurred
the tax.m 4720, Return of Certain Excise
Taxes Under Chapters 41 and 42 of the
Internal Revenue Code, to report the
section 4959 excise tax it incurred.
Answer “Yes” if the organization filed Form
4720 during the tax year or after the tax
year but prior to the filing of this return.
Line 12c. If line 12b is “Yes,” report the
total amount of section 4959 excise tax
the organization reported on Form 4720
for all of its hospital facilities that incurred
the tax.
Lines 13 through 16. See the
instructions for Part I, line 1 of Schedule H
(Form 990), for the definition of “financial
assistance policy (FAP).” Answer “Yes”
only if the FAP applies to all emergency
and other medically necessary care
provided by the hospital facility, including
all such care provided in the hospital
facility by a substantially related entity.
Line 13. Answer “Yes,” if, during the tax
year, the hospital facility had a written
financial assistance policy that explains
eligibility criteria for financial assistance,
and whether such assistance includes free
or discounted care. If “Yes,” indicate the
eligibility criteria explained in the FAP by
checking all applicable boxes. If the FAP
describes information that doesn't have a
corresponding checkbox, check line 13h,
“Other,” and describe this information in
Part V, Section C.
Line 13a. See the instructions for Part I,
line 3a of Schedule H (Form 990), for the
definition of “Federal Poverty Guidelines”
(FPG). Check this box if, during the tax
year, the hospital facility had a written
financial assistance policy that used FPG
for determining eligibility for free or
discounted medical care. Show the
specific threshold by writing in the
percentage amount. If the hospital facility
used FPG for determining eligibility for
free or discounted medical care, but not
both free and discounted medical care,
Instructions for Schedule H

enter “000” in the percentage amount for
which FPG wasn't used.
Line 13b. Check this box if the hospital
facility used an income level other than
FPG and explain in Part V, Section C,
what criteria the hospital facility used to
determine eligibility for free or discounted
care (including whether the hospital facility
used the income level of patients, patients’
families, or patients’ guarantors as a
factor).
Line 13c. Check this box if the hospital
facility used the asset level of patients,
patients' families, or patients' guarantors
as a factor in determining eligibility for
financial assistance.
Line 13d. Check this box if the hospital
facility considered whether patients were
“medically indigent,” as defined in the
instructions for Part I, line 4 of Schedule H
(Form 990), in determining eligibility for
financial assistance.
Line 13e. Check this box if the hospital
facility used the insurance status of
patients, patients' families, or patients'
guarantors as a factor in determining
eligibility for financial assistance.
Line 13g. Check this box if the hospital
facility considered residency as a factor
in determining eligibility for financial
assistance.
Line 14. Answer “Yes,” if, during the tax
year, the hospital facility had a written
financial assistance policy that explained
the basis for calculating amounts charged
to patients.
Line 15. Answer “Yes,” if, during the tax
year, the hospital facility had a written
financial assistance policy that explained
the method for applying for financial
assistance. If “Yes,” indicate how the
hospital facility’s FAP or FAP application
form (including the accompanying
instructions) explained the method for
applying for financial assistance by
checking all applicable boxes. If the FAP
explains a method(s) for applying for
financial assistance other than those listed
on lines 15a through 15d, check 15e,
“Other,” and explain the method(s) in Part
V, Section C.
Line 15a. Check this box if the hospital
facility described all of the information it
may require an individual to provide as
part of his or her application.
Line 15b. Check this box if the hospital
facility described all of the supporting
documentation it may require an individual
to submit as part of his or her application.
Line 15c. Check this box if the hospital
facility provided contact information of
hospital facility staff that the hospital
facility has identified as an available
source of assistance with FAP
applications.
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Line 15d. Check this box if the hospital
facility provided the contact information of
a nonprofit organization or government
agency that the hospital facility has
identified as an available source of
assistance with FAP applications.
Line 16. Answer “Yes,” if, during the tax
year, the FAP was widely publicized
within the community served by the
hospital facility. If “Yes,” indicate how the
hospital facility publicized the policy by
checking all applicable boxes. If the
hospital facility publicized the policy within
the community served by the hospital
facility by means that aren't listed on lines
16a–16i, check line 16j, “Other,” and
describe in Part V, Section C, how the
financial assistance policy was publicized
within the community served by the
hospital facility.
Line 16g. Check this box if individuals
were notified about the FAP by being
offered a paper copy of the plain language
summary of the FAP, by receiving a
conspicuous written notice about the FAP
on their billing statements, and via
conspicuous public displays or other
measures reasonably calculated to attract
patients' attention.
Line 16i. Check this box if the FAP, FAP
application form, and plain language
summary of the FAP were translated into
the primary language(s) spoken by
Limited English Proficient (LEP)
populations, such as by translating these
documents into the language(s) spoken by
each LEP language group that constitutes
the lesser of 1,000 individuals or 5% of the
community served by the hospital facility
or the population likely to be affected or
encountered by the hospital facility.
Line 16j. “Other” measures to publicize
the policy within the community served by
the hospital facility may include, but
aren't limited to, having registration
personnel refer uninsured and/or
low-income patients to financial
counselors to discuss the policy. Check
the box for line 16j if, instead of the
detailed policy, the hospital facility
provided a summary of the policy in a
manner listed in lines 16a–16i.
Line 17. Answer “Yes,” if, during the tax
year, the hospital facility had either a
separate written billing and collections
policy or a written FAP that described any
actions that the hospital facility (or other
authorized party) may take related to
obtaining payment of a bill for medical
care, including, but not limited to, any
extraordinary collection actions (ECAs);
the process and time frames the hospital
facility (or other authorized party) uses in
taking those actions (including, but not
limited to, the reasonable efforts it will
make to determine whether an individual
is FAP-eligible before engaging in ECAs);

and the office, department, committee, or
other body with the final authority or
responsibility for determining that the
hospital facility has made reasonable
efforts to determine whether an individual
is FAP-eligible and may therefore engage
in ECAs against the individual.
Lines 18 and 19. “Other similar actions”
don't include sending the patient a bill.
Note. Section 501(r)(6) requires a
hospital facility to forego ECAs before the
facility has made reasonable efforts to
determine the individual's eligibility under
the facility's FAP.
Line 18. Indicate what actions against an
individual the hospital facility was
permitted to take during the tax year under
its policies before making reasonable
efforts to determine the individual's
eligibility under the facility's FAP by
checking all applicable boxes.
Line 18a. Check this box if the FAP
permitted reporting adverse information
about the individual to consumer credit
reporting agencies or credit bureaus.
Line 18b. Check this box if the FAP
permitted selling an individual's debt to
another party. Don't check the box if, prior
to the sale, the hospital facility entered into
a legally binding written agreement with
the purchaser of the debt pursuant to
which the purchaser is prohibited from
engaging in any ECAs to obtain payment
for the care; the purchaser is prohibited
from charging interest on the debt in
excess of the rate in effect under section
6621(a)(2) at the time the debt is sold; the
debt is returnable to or recallable by the
hospital facility upon a determination by
the hospital facility or the purchaser that
the individual is FAP-eligible; and, if the
individual is determined to be FAP-eligible
and the debt isn't returned to or recalled
by the hospital facility, the purchaser is
required to adhere to procedures specified
in the agreement that ensure that the
individual doesn't pay, and has no
obligation to pay, the purchaser and the
hospital facility together more than he or
she is personally responsible for paying as
a FAP-eligible individual.
Line 18c. Check this box if the FAP
permitted deferring or denying, or
requiring a payment before providing,
medically necessary care because of an
individual’s nonpayment of one or more
bills for previously provided care covered
under the hospital facility’s FAP.
Line 18d. Check this box if the FAP
permitted actions that require a legal or
judicial process, including but not limited
to: placing a lien on an individual's real
property; attaching or seizing an
individual's bank account or any other
personal property; commencing a civil
action against an individual; causing an

individual's arrest; causing an individual to
be subject to a writ of body attachment; or
garnishing an individual's wages. Don't
include any liens that a hospital facility is
entitled to assert under state law on the
proceeds of a judgment, settlement, or
compromise owed to an individual (or his
or her representative) as a result of
personal injuries for which the hospital
facility provided care and if it files a claim
in a bankruptcy proceeding.
Line 18e. If a hospital facility's policies
permitted the facility to take an action or
actions against an individual during the tax
year similar to those listed on lines 18a
through 18d before making reasonable
efforts to determine the individual's
eligibility under the facility's FAP, check
line 18e, “Other similar actions,” and
describe those actions in Part V,
Section C.
Line 18f. If the hospital facility was
permitted to make no such actions, check
the box for line 18f, “None of these actions
or similar actions were permitted.”
Line 19. Indicate any of the actions
against an individual that the hospital
facility took during the tax year before
making reasonable efforts to determine
the individual's eligibility under the facility's
FAP by checking all applicable boxes. For
purposes of this question, actions against
an individual include actions to obtain
payment for the care against any other
individual who has accepted or is required
to accept responsibility for the individual’s
hospital bill for the care, and actions of the
hospital facility include actions of any
purchaser of the individual’s debt, any
debt collection agency or other party to
which the hospital facility has referred the
individual’s debt, or any substantially
related entity.
Line 19a. Check this box if the hospital
facility reported adverse information about
the individual to consumer credit reporting
agencies or credit bureaus before making
reasonable efforts to determine the
individual's eligibility under the facility's
FAP.
Line 19b. Check this box if the hospital
facility sold an individual's debt to another
party before making reasonable efforts to
determine the individual's eligibility under
the facility's FAP. Don't check the box if,
prior to the sale, the hospital facility
entered into a legally binding written
agreement with the purchaser of the debt
pursuant to which the purchaser is
prohibited from engaging in any ECAs to
obtain payment for the care; the purchaser
is prohibited from charging interest on the
debt in excess of the rate in effect under
section 6621(a)(2) at the time the debt is
sold; the debt is returnable to or recallable
by the hospital facility upon a
determination by the hospital facility or the
-10-

purchaser that the individual is
FAP-eligible; and, if the individual is
determined to be FAP-eligible and the
debt isn't returned to or recalled by the
hospital facility, the purchaser is required
to adhere to procedures specified in the
agreement that ensure that the individual
doesn't pay, and has no obligation to pay,
the purchaser and the hospital facility
together more than he or she is personally
responsible for paying as a FAP-eligible
individual.
Line 19c. Check this box if the hospital
facility deferred or denied, or required a
payment before providing, medically
necessary care because of an individual’s
nonpayment of one or more bills for
previously provided care covered under
the hospital facility’s FAP.
Line 19d. Check this box if the hospital
facility took legal action or pursued a
judicial process, including but not limited
to: placing a lien on an individual's real
property; attaching or seizing an
individual's bank account or any other
personal property; commencing a civil
action against an individual; causing an
individual's arrest; causing an individual to
be subject to a writ of body attachment; or
garnishing an individual's wages. Don't
include any liens that a hospital facility is
entitled to assert under state law on the
proceeds of a judgment settlement, or
compromise owed to an individual (or his
or her representative) as a result of
personal injuries for which the hospital
facility provided care and if it filed a claim
in bankruptcy proceeding.
Line 19e. If the hospital facility took an
action or actions against an individual
during the tax year similar to those listed in
lines 19a through 19d before making
reasonable efforts to determine the
individual's eligibility under the facility's
FAP, check line 19e, “Other similar
actions,” and describe those actions in
Part V, Section C.
Line 20. Indicate which efforts the
hospital facility or other authorized party
made before initiating any of the actions
listed (whether or not checked) on lines
19a through 19d or described in Part V,
Section C (describing “other similar
actions” checked on line 18e or line 19e)
by checking all applicable boxes on lines
20a through 20d. If the hospital facility
made efforts other than those listed on
lines 20a through 20d before initiating any
of the actions listed on lines 19a through
19d or described in Part V, Section C
(describing "other similar actions" checked
on line 18e or line 19e), check the box for
line 20e, “Other,” and describe in Part V,
Section C.
If the hospital facility made no such
efforts before initiating any of the actions
listed (whether or not checked) on lines
Instructions for Schedule H

19a through 19d or described in Part V,
Section C (describing “other similar
actions” checked on line 18e or line 19e),
check the box for line 20f, “None of these
efforts were made.”
Line 20a. Check this box if the hospital
facility or other authorized party provided
individuals with a written notice that
indicated financial assistance is available
for eligible individuals, identified the
ECA(s) that the hospital facility (or other
authorized party) intended to initiate to
obtain payment for the care, and stated a
deadline after which such ECA(s) may be
initiated that was no earlier than 30 days
after the date that the written notice was
provided, along with a plain language
summary of the FAP. If not, describe in
Section C.
Line 20b. Check this box if the hospital
facility or other authorized party made a
reasonable effort to orally notify
individuals about the hospital facility’s FAP
and about how the individual may obtain
assistance with the FAP application
process at least 30 days before initiating
ECAs. If not, describe in Section C.
Line 20c. Check this box if (1) when an
individual who submitted an incomplete
FAP application during the application
period, the hospital facility or other
authorized party notified the individual
about how to complete the FAP
application and gave the individual a
reasonable opportunity to do so in
accordance with Regulations section
1.501(r)-6(c)(5); and (2) when an
individual who submitted a complete FAP
application during the application period,
the hospital facility or other authorized
party determined whether the individual is
FAP-eligible for the care and otherwise
met the requirements described in
Regulations section 1.501(r)-6(c)(6). If not,
describe in Section C.
Line 20d. Check this box if the hospital
facility or other authorized party made
presumptive eligibility determinations in
accordance with Regulations section
1.501(r)-6(c)(2). If not, describe in
Section C.
Line 21. Answer “Yes,” if, during the tax
year, the hospital facility had in place a
written policy about emergency medical
care that required the hospital facility to
provide, without discrimination, care for
emergency medical conditions to
individuals without regard to their eligibility
under the hospital facility's financial
assistance policy. A hospital facility's
emergency medical care policy doesn't
meet this requirement unless it prohibits
the hospital facility from engaging in
actions that discourage individuals from
seeking emergency medical care, such as
by demanding that emergency department
patients pay before receiving treatment for
Instructions for Schedule H

emergency medical conditions or by
permitting debt collection activities that
interfere with the provision, without
discrimination, of emergency medical
care. If “No,” indicate the reasons why the
hospital facility didn't have a written
nondiscriminatory policy relating to
emergency medical care by checking all
applicable boxes. If the reason the
hospital facility didn't have a written
nondiscriminatory policy relating to
emergency medical care isn't listed in
lines 21a through 21c, check line 21d,
“Other,” and describe the reason(s) in Part
V, Section C.
The hospital facility may check “Yes” if
it had a written policy that required
compliance with 42 U.S.C. 1395dd
(Emergency Medical Treatment and
Active Labor Act (EMTALA)).
For purposes of line 21, the term
“emergency medical conditions” means:
(a) A medical condition manifesting
itself by acute symptoms of sufficient
severity (including severe pain) such that
the absence of immediate medical
attention could reasonably be expected to
result in:
1. Placing the health of the individual
(or, for a pregnant woman, the health of
the woman or her unborn child) in serious
jeopardy,
2. Serious impairment to bodily
functions, or
3. Serious dysfunction of any bodily
organ or part; or
(b) For a pregnant woman who is
having contractions:
1. That there is inadequate time to
effect a safe transfer to another hospital
before delivery, or
2. That transfer may pose a threat to
the health or safety of the woman or the
unborn child.
Lines 22–24. For purposes of lines 22–
24, the term “FAP-eligible” means eligible
for assistance under the hospital facility's
financial assistance policy.
Line 22. Indicate how the hospital facility
determined, during the tax year, the
maximum amounts that can be charged to
FAP-eligible individuals for emergency or
other medically necessary care by
checking the appropriate box.
Note. Under section 501(r)(5), the
maximum amounts that can be charged to
FAP-eligible individuals for emergency or
other medically necessary care are the
amounts generally billed to individuals
who have insurance covering such care.
Line 23. Answer “Yes,” if, during the tax
year, the hospital facility charged any
FAP-eligible individual to whom the
hospital facility provided emergency or
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other medically necessary services more
than the amounts generally billed to
individuals who had insurance covering
such care. If “Yes,” explain in Part V,
Section C, except as provided in the next
paragraph.
The hospital facility may check “No” if
it charged more than the amounts
generally billed to individuals who had
insurance covering such care to an
individual if: the charge in excess of
amounts generally billed (AGB) wasn't
made or requested as a pre-condition of
providing medically necessary care to the
FAP-eligible individual; as of the time of
the charge, the FAP-eligible individual
hadn't submitted a complete FAP
application and hadn't otherwise been
determined by the hospital facility to be
FAP-eligible for the care; and, if the
individual subsequently submits a
complete FAP application and is
determined to be FAP-eligible for the care,
the hospital facility refunds any amount
that exceeds the amount he or she is
determined to be personally responsible
for paying as a FAP-eligible individual,
unless such excess amount is less than
$5.
Line 24. Answer “Yes,” if, during the tax
year, the hospital facility charged any
FAP-eligible individual an amount equal to
the gross charge for any service provided
to that individual, and explain in Part V,
Section C, the circumstances in which it
used gross charges. A bill that itemizes a
reduction applied to a gross charge for a
service doesn't need to be reported if the
amount charged to the individual for such
service is less than the amount of the
gross charge.
The hospital facility may check “No” if it
charged gross charges for any medical
care covered under the FAP if: the charge
in excess of AGB wasn't made or
requested as a pre-condition of providing
medically necessary care to the
FAP-eligible individual; as of the time of
the charge, the FAP-eligible individual
hadn't submitted a complete FAP
application and hadn't otherwise been
determined by the hospital facility to be
FAP-eligible for the care; and, if the
individual subsequently submits a
complete FAP application and is
determined to be FAP-eligible for the care,
the hospital facility refunds any amount
that exceeds the amount he or she is
determined to be personally responsible
for paying as a FAP-eligible individual,
unless such excess amount is less than
$5.

Section C

Use Section C to provide descriptions
required for Part V, Section B, lines 2, 3e,
3j, 5, 6a, 6b, 7d, 11, 13b, 13h, 15e, 16j,
18e, 19e, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e, 21c,
21d, 23, and 24, as applicable. Complete

a separate Section C for each hospital
facility or facility reporting group for which
the organization completed Section B;
complete one Section C for each
Section B.
If completing Section C for a single
hospital facility, identify the specific name
and line number (from Schedule H (Form
990), Part V, Section A) of the hospital
facility to which the responses in
Section C relate.
If completing Section C for a facility
reporting group, list the reporting group
letter, then list each hospital facility in that
group separately by name and line
number (from Section A). For each
hospital facility, provide the descriptions
required for Part V, Section B, lines 2, 3j,
5, 6a, 6b, 7d, 11, 13b, 13h, 15e, 16j, 18e,
19e, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e, 21c, 21d,
23, and 24. If applicable, provide separate
descriptions for each hospital facility in a
facility reporting group, designated by
facility reporting group letter and hospital
facility line number from Part V, Section A
(“A, 1,” “A, 4,” “B, 2,” “B, 3,” etc.), and
name of hospital facility.

• Line 2: If the organization checked
“Yes,” provide details regarding the
hospital facility(ies) acquired or placed
into service as a tax-exempt hospital in the
current tax year or the immediately
preceding tax year.
• Line 3j: If the organization checked
line 3j, describe the other content included
in the hospital facility's CHNA report.
• Line 5: If the organization checked
“Yes,” summarize, in general terms, how
and over what time period such input was
provided (for example, whether through
meetings, focus groups, interviews,
surveys, or written comments, and
between what dates); the names of any
organizations providing input; and
describe the medically underserved,
low-income, or minority populations being
represented by organizations or
individuals that provided input. A CHNA
report doesn't need to name or otherwise
identify any specific individual providing
input on the CHNA. In the event a hospital
facility solicits, but cannot obtain, input
from a source required by line 5, the
hospital facility's CHNA report must also
describe the hospital facility's efforts to
solicit input from such source.
• Line 6a: If the organization checked
“Yes,” list the other hospital facilities with
which the hospital facility conducted its
CHNA.
• Line 6b: If the organization checked
“Yes,” list the organizations other than
hospital facilities with which the hospital
facility conducted its CHNA.
• Line 7d: If the organization checked
line 7d, describe the other means that the
hospital facility used to make its CHNA
widely available.

• Line 11: Describe how the hospital
facility is addressing the significant health
needs identified in its most recently
conducted CHNA and any such needs
that aren't being addressed together with
the reasons why such needs aren't being
addressed.
• Line 13b: Describe the criteria the
hospital facility used to determine eligibility
for free or discounted care (including
whether the hospital facility used the
income level of patients, patients’ families,
or patients’ guarantors as a factor).
• Line 13h: If the organization checked
line 13h, describe the other eligibility
criteria used.
• Line 15e: If the organization checked
line 15e, describe the other methods for
applying for financial assistance.
• Line 16j: If the organization checked
line 16j, describe other ways that the
hospital facility publicized its financial
assistance policy.
• Line 18e: If the organization checked
line 18e, describe the other similar actions
that the hospital facility was permitted to
take under its policies during the tax year
before making reasonable efforts to
determine the individual's eligibility under
the facility's FAP.
• Line 19e: If the organization checked
line 19e, describe the other similar actions
that the hospital facility was permitted to
take under its policies during the tax year
before making reasonable efforts to
determine the individual's eligibility under
the facility's FAP.
• Line 20e: If the organization checked
line 20e, describe the other efforts that the
hospital facility made.
• Line 21c: If the organization checked
line 21c, describe how the hospital facility
limited who was eligible to receive care for
emergency services.
• Line 21d: If the organization checked
line 21d, describe the other reasons why
the hospital facility didn't have a written
nondiscriminatory policy for emergency
medical care.
• Line 23: If the organization checked
“Yes” to line 23, explain the circumstances
in which the hospital facility charged any
FAP-eligible individual more than the
amounts generally billed to individuals
who had insurance covering such care.
• Line 24: If the organization answered
“Yes” to line 24, explain the circumstances
in which the hospital facility charged any
FAP-eligible individual an amount equal to
the gross charge for any service provided
to that individual.

Section D.

Complete Part V, Section D, by listing all
of the non-hospital health care facilities
that the organization operated during the
tax year. A facility is operated by an
organization whether it is operated directly
by the organization or through a
disregarded entity or joint venture
-12-

treated as a partnership. List each of
these facilities in order of size from largest
to smallest, measured by a reasonable
method (for example, the number of
patients served or total revenue per
facility). For each non-hospital health care
facility, list its name and address and
describe the type of facility. These types
of facilities may include, but aren't limited
to, rehabilitation and other outpatient
clinics, diagnostic centers, mobile clinics,
and skilled nursing facilities.
List the total number of non-hospital
health care facilities that the organization
operated during the tax year.
If the organization needs additional
space to list all of its non-hospital health
care facilities, it should duplicate
Section D and use as many duplicate
copies of Section D as needed, number
each page, and renumber the line
numbers in the left-hand margin (for
example, an organization with 15 such
facilities should renumber lines 1–5 on the
2nd page as lines 11–15).

• Line 2: If the organization checked
“Yes,” provide details regarding the
hospital facility(ies) acquired or placed
into service as a tax-exempt hospital in the
current tax year or the immediately
preceding tax year.
• Line 3j: If the organization checked
line 3j, describe the other content included
in the hospital facility's CHNA report.
• Line 5: If the organization checked
“Yes,” summarize, in general terms, how
and over what time period such input was
provided (for example, whether through
meetings, focus groups, interviews,
surveys, or written comments, and
between what dates); the names of any
organizations providing input; and
describe the medically underserved,
low-income, or minority populations being
represented by organizations or
individuals that provided input. A CHNA
report doesn't need to name or otherwise
identify any specific individual providing
input on the CHNA. In the event a hospital
facility solicits, but cannot obtain, input
from a source required by line 5, the
hospital facility's CHNA report must also
describe the hospital facility's efforts to
solicit input from such source.
• Line 6a: If the organization checked
“Yes,” list the other hospital facilities with
which the hospital facility conducted its
CHNA.
• Line 6b: If the organization checked
“Yes,” list the organizations other than
hospital facilities with which the hospital
facility conducted its CHNA.
• Line 7d: If the organization checked
line 7d, describe the other means that the
hospital facility used to make its CHNA
widely available.
• Line 11: Describe how the hospital
facility is addressing the significant health
Instructions for Schedule H

needs identified in its most recently
conducted CHNA and any such needs
that aren't being addressed together with
the reasons why such needs aren't being
addressed.
• Line 13b: Describe the criteria the
hospital facility used to determine eligibility
for free or discounted care (including
whether the hospital facility used the
income level of patients, patients’ families,
or patients’ guarantors as a factor).
• Line 13h: If the organization checked
line 13h, describe the other eligibility
criteria used.
• Line 15e: If the organization checked
line 15e, describe the other methods for
applying for financial assistance.
• Line 16j: If the organization checked
line 16j, describe other ways that the
hospital facility publicized its financial
assistance policy.
• Line 18e: If the organization checked
line 18e, describe the other similar actions
that the hospital facility was permitted to
take under its policies during the tax year
before making reasonable efforts to
determine the individual's eligibility under
the facility's FAP.
• Line 19e: If the organization checked
line 19e, describe the other similar actions
that the hospital facility was permitted to
take under its policies during the tax year
before making reasonable efforts to
determine the individual's eligibility under
the facility's FAP.
• Line 20e: If the organization checked
line 20e, describe the other efforts that the
hospital facility made.
• Line 21c: If the organization checked
line 21c, describe how the hospital facility
limited who was eligible to receive care for
emergency services.
• Line 21d: If the organization checked
line 21d, describe the other reasons why
the hospital facility didn't have a written
nondiscriminatory policy for emergency
medical care.
• Line 23: If the organization checked
“Yes” to line 23, explain the circumstances
in which the hospital facility charged any
FAP-eligible individual more than the
amounts generally billed to individuals
who had insurance covering such care.
• Line 24: If the organization answered
“Yes” to line 24, explain the circumstances
in which the hospital facility charged any
FAP-eligible individual an amount equal to
the gross charge for any service provided
to that individual.

Part VI. Supplemental
Information
Use Part VI to provide the narrative
explanations required by the following
questions, and to supplement responses
to other questions on Schedule H (Form
990). In addition, use Part VI to make
disclosures described in section 7 of Rev.
Instructions for Schedule H

Proc. 2015-21. Identify the specific part,
section, and line number that the response
supports, in the order in which they appear
on Schedule H (Form 990). Part VI can be
duplicated if more space is needed.
Rev. Proc. 2015-21, 2015-13 I.R.B.
817, provides guidance regarding
correction and disclosure procedures for
hospital organizations to follow so that
certain failures to meet the requirements
of section 501(r) will be excused for
purposes of sections 501(r)(1) and 501(r)
(2)(B). Section 7 of the revenue procedure
provides that certain information must be
disclosed on the organization’s Form 990.
Provide this information in Part VI.
Line 1. Provide the following
supplemental information.
Part I, line 3c. If applicable, describe
the criteria used for determining eligibility
for free or discounted care under the
organization's financial assistance policy.
Also, describe whether the organization
uses an asset test or other threshold,
regardless of income, to determine
eligibility for free or discounted care.
Part I, line 6a. If the organization's
community benefit report is in a report
prepared by a related organization, and
not in a separate report prepared by the
organization, identify the related
organization and list its EIN.
Part I, line 7g. If applicable, describe
if the organization included as subsidized
health services any costs attributable to a
physician clinic, and enter such costs the
organization included.
Part I, line 7, column (f). If
applicable, enter the bad debt expense
included in Form 990, Part IX, line 25,
column (A) (but subtracted for purposes of
calculating the percentages in this
column).
Part I, line 7. Provide an explanation
of the costing methodology used to
calculate the amounts entered for each
line in the table. If a cost accounting
system was used, indicate whether the
cost accounting system addresses all
patient segments (for example, inpatient,
outpatient, emergency room, private
insurance, Medicaid, Medicare,
uninsured, or self pay). Also, indicate if a
cost-to-charge ratio was used for any of
the figures in the table. Describe whether
this cost-to-charge ratio was derived from
Worksheet 2, Ratio of Patient Care
Cost-to-Charges, and, if not, what kind of
cost-to-charge ratio was used and how it
was derived. If some other costing
methodology was used besides a cost
accounting system, cost-to-charge ratio,
or a combination of the two, describe the
method used.

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Part II. Describe how the
organization’s community building
activities, as reported in Part II, promote
the health of the community or
communities the organization serves.
Part III, line 2. Describe the
methodology used to determine the
amount on Part III, line 2, including how
the organization accounts for discounts
and payments on patient accounts in
determining bad debt expense.
Part III, line 3. Describe the
methodology used to determine the
amount entered on line 3. Also, describe
the rationale, if any, for including any
portion of bad debt as community benefit.
Part III, line 4. Provide, if applicable,
the text of the footnote to the
organization's financial statements that
describes bad debt expense, or enter the
page number(s) of the organization's most
recent audited financial statements on
which the footnote appears. If the
organization's financial statements include
a footnote on these issues that also
includes other information, enter only the
relevant portions of the footnote. If the
organization's financial statements don't
contain such a footnote, enter that the
organization's financial statements don't
include such a footnote, and explain how
the financial statements account for bad
debt, if at all.
Part III, line 8. Describe the costing
methodology used to determine the
Medicare allowable costs entered on Part
III, line 6. Describe, if applicable, the
extent to which any shortfall entered on
Part III, line 7, should be treated as a
community benefit, and the rationale for
the organization's position.
Part III, line 9b. If the organization has
a written debt collection policy and
answered “Yes,” to Part III, line 9b,
describe the collection practices in the
policy that apply to patients who it knows
qualify for financial assistance, whether
the practices apply specifically to such
patients or also cover other types of
patients.
Line 2. If applicable, describe whether
and how the organization assesses the
health care needs of the community or
communities it serves, in addition to any
CHNA entered in Part V, Section B.
Line 3. Describe how the organization
informs and educates patients and
persons who are billed for patient care
about their eligibility for assistance under
federal, state, or local government
programs or under the organization's
financial assistance policy. For example,
enter whether the organization posts its
financial assistance policy, or a summary
thereof, applications for financial
assistance, and financial assistance

contact information in admissions areas,
emergency rooms, and other areas of the
organization's facilities where eligible
patients are likely to be present; provides
a copy of the policy, or a summary thereof,
applications for financial assistance, and
financial assistance contact information to
patients as part of the intake process;
provides a copy of the policy, or a
summary thereof, applications for financial
assistance, and financial assistance
contact information to patients with
discharge materials; includes the policy, or
a summary thereof, an application for
financial assistance, and financial
assistance contact information, in patient
bills; or discusses with the patient the
availability of various government benefits,
such as Medicaid or state programs, and
assists the patient with qualification for
such programs, where applicable.
Line 4. Describe the community or
communities the organization serves,
taking into account the geographic service
area(s) (urban, suburban, rural, etc.), the
demographics of the community or
communities (population, average income,
percentages of community residents with
incomes below the federal poverty
guideline, percentage of the hospital's and
community's patients who are uninsured
or Medicaid recipients, etc.), the number
of other hospitals serving the community
or communities, and whether one or more
federally designated medically
underserved areas or populations are
present in the community.
Line 5. Provide any other information
important to describing how the
organization's hospitals or other health
care facilities further its exempt purpose
by promoting the health of the community
or communities. Your response should
include, but need not be limited to,
whether:
• A majority of the organization's
governing body is comprised of persons
who reside in the organization's primary
service area who are neither employees
nor independent contractors of the
organization, nor family members
thereof;
• The organization extends medical staff
privileges to all qualified physicians in its
community for some or all of its
departments or specialties; and

• How the organization applies surplus
funds to improvements in facilities and
equipment, patient care, medical training,
education, and research.
Line 6. If the organization is part of an
affiliated health care system, describe the
roles of the organization and its affiliates in
promoting the health of the communities
served by the system. For purposes of this
question, an “affiliated health care system”
is a system that includes affiliates under
common governance or control, or that
cooperate in providing health care
services to their community or
communities.
Line 7. Identify all states with which the
organization files (or a related
organization files on its behalf) a
community benefit report. Enter only those
states in which the organization's own
community benefit report is filed, either by
the organization itself or by a related
organization on the organization's behalf.

Worksheet 1. Financial
Assistance at Cost (Part I,
Line 7a)

Worksheet 1 can be used to calculate the
organization's financial assistance
(sometimes referred to as “charity care”)
at cost entered on Part I, line 7a. Refer to
instructions for Part I, line 1, for the
definition of “financial assistance.”
Line 1. Enter the gross patient charges
written off to financial assistance pursuant
to the organization's financial assistance
policies. “Gross patient charges” means
the total charges at the organization's full
established rates for the provision of
patient care services before deductions
from revenue are applied.
Line 3. Multiply line 1 by line 2, or enter
estimated cost based on the
organization's cost accounting
methodology. Organizations with a cost
accounting system or a cost accounting
method more accurate than the ratio of
patient care cost to charges from
Worksheet 2 can rely on that method to
estimate financial assistance cost. An
organization that doesn't use Worksheet 2
to determine a ratio of patient care cost to
charges should make any necessary

-14-

adjustments for patient care charges and
community benefit programs to avoid
double counting.
Line 4. Enter the Medicaid/provider
taxes, fees, and assessments paid by the
organization, if payments received from an
uncompensated care pool or DSH
program in the organization's home state
are intended primarily to offset the cost of
financial assistance. If the payments are
primarily intended to offset the cost of
Medicaid services, then enter this amount
in Worksheet 3, line 4, column (A). If the
primary purpose of the taxes or payments
hasn't been made clear by state regulation
or law, then the organization can allocate
the taxes or payments proportionately
between Worksheet 1, line 4, and
Worksheet 3, line 4, column (A), based on
a reasonable estimate of which portions
are intended for financial assistance and
Medicaid, respectively. “Medicaid provider
taxes” means amounts paid or transferred
by the organization to one or more states
as a mechanism to generate federal
Medicaid DSH funds (portions of the cost
of the tax are generally promised back to
organizations either through an increase in
the Medicaid reimbursement rate or
through direct appropriation).
Line 6. “Revenue from uncompensated
care pools or programs” means payments
received from a state, including Upper
Payment Limit (UPL) funding and
Medicaid DSH funds, as direct offsetting
revenue for financial assistance or to
enhance Medicaid reimbursement rates. If
such payments are primarily to offset the
cost of Medicaid services, then enter this
amount in Worksheet 3, line 7, column (A).
If the primary purpose of the payments
hasn't been made clear by state regulation
or law, then the organization can allocate
the payments proportionately between
Worksheet 1, line 6, and Worksheet 3,
line 7, column (A), based on a reasonable
estimate of which portions are intended for
financial assistance and Medicaid,
respectively.
Line 7. Include the amount of any other
offsetting revenue, including any restricted
grants received by the organization.

Instructions for Schedule H

Worksheet 1. Financial Assistance at Cost (Part I, line 7a)

Keep for Your Records

Gross patient charges
1. Amount of gross patient charges written off under financial assistance policies . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.

Total community benefit expense
2. Ratio of patient care cost to charges (from Worksheet 2, if used) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3. Estimated cost (multiply line 1 by line 2, or obtain from cost accounting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.

4. Medicaid provider taxes, fees, and assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

5. Total community benefit expense (add lines 3 and 4; enter in Part I, line 7a, column
(c)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

Direct offsetting revenue
6. Revenue from uncompensated care pools or programs

..............................

6.

7. Other direct offsetting revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.

8. Total direct offsetting revenue (add lines 6 and 7; enter in Part I, line 7a, column
(d)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8.

9. Net community benefit expense (subtract line 8 from line 5; enter in Part I, line 7a,
column (e)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9.

10. Total expense (enter amount from Form 990, Part IX, line 25, column (A), including the
organization's share of joint venture expenses, and excluding any bad debt expense included
on Part IX, line 25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10.

11. Percent of total expense
(divide line 9 by line 10; enter in Part I, line 7a, column (f)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11.

Worksheet 2. Ratio of
Patient Care Cost to
Charges

Worksheet 2 can be used to calculate the
organization's ratio of patient care cost to
charges. An organization that doesn't use
Worksheet 2 to determine a ratio of patient
care cost to charges should make any
necessary adjustments for patient care
charges and community benefit programs
to avoid double counting.

Line 1. Enter the organization's total
operating expenses (excluding bad debt
expense) from its most recent audited
financial statements.
Line 2. Enter the cost of nonpatient care
activities. “Nonpatient care activities”
include health care operations that
generate “other operating revenue” such
as nonpatient food sales, supplies sold to
nonpatients, and medical records
abstracting. The cost of nonpatient care
activities doesn't include any total
community benefit expense entered on
Worksheets 1 through 8.
If the organization is unable to establish
the cost associated with nonpatient care

Instructions for Schedule H

activities, use other operating revenue
from its most recent audited financial
statement as a proxy for these costs. This
proxy assumes no markup exists for other
operating revenue compared to the cost of
nonpatient care activities. Alternatively, if
other operating revenue provides a
markup compared to the cost of
nonpatient care activities, the organization
can assume such a markup exists when
completing line 2.
Line 3. Enter the Medicaid provider
taxes, fees, and assessments paid by the
organization included on line 1 so this
expenditure isn't double-counted when the
ratio of patient care cost to charges is
applied.
Line 4. Enter the sum of the total
community benefit expenses included in
“Total operating expense” on line 1 and
entered in Part I, lines 7e, 7f, 7h, and 7i,
column (c), so these expenses aren't
double-counted when the ratio of patient
care cost to charges is applied.
Also, include on line 4 the total
community benefit expense entered in
Part I, lines 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7g, column (c),
if the organization hasn't relied on the ratio

-15-

%

of patient care cost to charges from this
worksheet to determine these expenses,
but rather has relied on a cost accounting
system or other cost accounting method to
estimate costs of financial assistance,
Medicaid or other means-tested
government programs, or subsidized
health services.
Line 5. Enter the gross expense of
community building activities reported in
Part II of Schedule H (Form 990).
Line 9. Enter the gross patient charges
for any community benefit activities or
programs for which the organization hasn't
relied on the ratio of patient care cost to
charges from this worksheet to determine
the expenses of such activities or
programs. For example, if the organization
uses a cost accounting system or another
cost accounting method to estimate total
community benefit expense for Medicaid
or any other means-tested government
programs, enter gross charges for those
programs on line 9.

Worksheet 2. Ratio of Patient Care Cost to Charges
(can be used for other worksheets)

Keep for Your Records

Patient care cost
1. Total operating expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.

Less adjustments
2. Nonpatient care activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3. Medicaid provider taxes, fees, and assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.

4. Total community benefit expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

5. Total community building expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

6. Total adjustments (add lines 2 through 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.

7. Adjusted patient care cost (subtract line 6 from line 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.

Patient care charges
8. Gross patient charges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8.

Less: adjustments
9. Gross charges for community benefit programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9.

10. Adjusted patient care charges (subtract line 9 from line 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10.

Calculation of ratio of patient care cost to charges
11. Ratio of patient care cost to charges (divide line 7 by line 10; enter on the applicable lines of
Worksheets 1, 3, or 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Worksheet 3. Medicaid
and Other Means-Tested
Government Health
Programs (Part I, Lines 7b
and 7c)
Worksheet 3 can be used to report the
cost of Medicaid and other means-tested
government health programs. A
“means-tested government program” is a
government health program for which
eligibility depends on the recipient's
income or asset level.

“Medicaid” means the United States
health program for individuals and families
with low incomes and resources. “Other
means-tested government programs”
means government-sponsored health
programs where eligibility for benefits or
coverage is determined by income or
assets. Examples include:
• The State Children's Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP), a United States
federal government program that gives
funds to states in order to provide health
insurance to families with children; and
• Other federal, state, or local health care
programs.
Report Medicaid and other
means-tested government program
revenues and expenses from all states,

not just from the organization's home
state.
Line 1, column (A). Enter the gross
patient charges for Medicaid services.
Include gross patient charges for all
Medicaid recipients, including those
enrolled in managed care plans. In certain
states, SCHIP functions as an expansion
of the Medicaid program, and
reimbursements from SCHIP aren't
distinguishable from regular Medicaid
reimbursements. Hospitals that cannot
distinguish their SCHIP reimbursements
from their Medicaid reimbursements can
enter SCHIP charges, costs, and
offsetting revenue under column (A).
Line 1, column (B). Enter the amount of
gross patient charges for other
means-tested government health
programs.
Line 3, column (A). Enter the estimated
cost for Medicaid services. Multiply line 1,
column (A), by line 2, column (A), or enter
estimated cost based on the
organization's cost accounting system or
method. Organizations with a cost
accounting system or a cost accounting
method more accurate than the ratio of
patient care cost to charges from
Worksheet 2 can rely on that system or
method to estimate the cost of Medicaid
-16-

11.

%

services. Organizations relying on a cost
accounting system or method other than
the ratio of patient care cost to charges
from Worksheet 2 should use care not to
double-count community benefit expenses
fully accounted for elsewhere on
Schedule H (Form 990), Part I, line 7, such
as the cost of health professions
education, community health improvement
services, community benefit operations,
subsidized health services, and research.
Line 3, column (B). Enter the estimated
cost for services provided to patients who
receive health benefits from other
means-tested government health
programs.
Line 4, column (A). Enter the Medicaid
provider taxes, fees, and assessments
paid by the organization if payments
received from an uncompensated care
pool, UPL program, or Medicaid DSH
program in the organization's home state
are intended primarily to offset the cost of
Medicaid services. If such payments are
primarily intended to offset the cost of
financial assistance, then enter this
amount on Worksheet 1, line 4. If the
primary purpose of such taxes or
payments hasn't been made clear by state
regulation or law, then the organization
can allocate portions of such taxes or
payments proportionately between
Instructions for Schedule H

Worksheet 1, line 4, and Worksheet 3,
line 4, column (A), based on a reasonable
estimate of which portions are intended for
financial assistance and Medicaid,
respectively.
Line 6, column (A). Enter the net patient
service revenue for Medicaid services,
including revenue associated with
Medicaid recipients enrolled in managed
care plans. Don't include Medicaid
reimbursement for direct graduate medical
education (GME) costs, which should be
entered on Worksheet 5, line 9. Include
Medicaid reimbursement for indirect GME
costs, including the indirect IME portion of
children's health GME. The direct portion
of children's health GME should be
entered on Worksheet 5, line 10. Also,
include Medicaid DSH revenue and UPL
funding. “Net patient service revenue”
means payments expected to be received
from patients or third-party payers for
patient services performed during the

year. “Net patient service revenue” also
includes revenue for services performed
during prior years.
Organizations can describe in Part VI
the amount of prior year Medicaid revenue
included on Part I, line 7b.
Amounts received from a Medicaid
program as “reimbursement for direct
GME” or IME should be treated the way
the Medicaid program that provides
reimbursement classifies the funds.
Line 7, column (A). Enter revenue
received from uncompensated care pools
or programs if payments received from an
uncompensated care pool, UPL program,
or Medicaid DSH program in the
organization's home state are intended
primarily to offset the cost of Medicaid
services. If such payments are primarily
intended to offset the cost of charity care,
then enter this amount on Worksheet 1,
line 6. If the primary purpose of such
payments hasn't been made clear by state

regulation or law, then the organization
can allocate the payments proportionately
between Worksheet 1, line 6, and
Worksheet 3, line 7, column (A), based on
a reasonable estimate of which portions
are intended for financial assistance and
Medicaid, respectively.

Worksheet 4. Community
Health Improvement
Services and Community
Benefit Operations (Part I,
Line 7e)

Worksheet 4 can be used to report the net
cost of community health improvement
services and community benefit
operations.
“Community health improvement
services” means activities or programs,
subsidized by the health care
organization, carried out or supported for
the express purpose of improving

Worksheet 3. Medicaid and Other Means-Tested Government Health
Programs (Part I, lines 7b and 7c)

Keep for Your Records
(A)
Medicaid

(B)
Other
means-tested
government health
programs

Gross patient charges
1. Gross patient charges from the programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.

Total community benefit expense
2. Ratio of patient care cost to charges (from Worksheet 2, if used) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3. Cost (multiply line 1 by line 2, or obtain from cost accounting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.

4. Medicaid provider taxes, fees, and assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

5. Total community benefit expense Total community benefit expense (add lines 3
and 4; enter amount from column (A) in Part I, line 7b, column (c); and enter amount
from column (B) in Part I, line 7c, column (c)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

%

%

%

%

Direct offsetting revenue
6. Net patient service revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.

7. Payments from uncompensated care pools or programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.

8. Other revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8.

9. Total direct offsetting revenue (add lines 6 through 8; enter amount from column
(A) in Part I, line 7b, column (d), and enter amount from column (B) in Part I, line 7c,
column (d)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9.

10. Net community benefit expense (subtract line 9 from line 5; enter amount from
column (A) in Part I, line 7b, column (e); enter amount from column (B) in Part I,
line 7c, column (e)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10.

11. Total expense (enter amount from Form 990, Part IX, line 25, column (A), including
the organization's share of joint venture expenses, and excluding any bad debt
expense included in Part IX, line 25, in both columns (A) and (B)) . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11.

12. Percent of total expense (line 10 divided by line 11; enter amount from column (A)
in Part I, line 7b, column (f); enter amount from column (B) in Part I, line 7c, column
(f)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12.

Instructions for Schedule H

-17-

Worksheet 4. Community Health Improvement Services and Community
Benefit Operations (Part I, line 7e)

Keep for Your Records

(A)
Total
community
benefit
expense
1.

Community health improvement services
a.

1a.

b.

1b.

c.

1c.

d.

1d.

e.

1e.

f.

1f.

g.

1g.

h.

1h.

i.

1i.

j.

1j.

2.

Worksheet subtotal (add lines 1a through 1j) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3.

Community benefit operations
a.

3a.

b.

3b.

c.

3c.

d.

3d.

4.

Worksheet subtotal (add lines 3a through 3d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

5.

Worksheet total (add lines 2 and 4; enter amounts from columns
(A), (B), and (C) in Part I, line 7e, columns (c), (d), and (e),
respectively) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

Total expense (enter amount from Form 990, Part IX, line 25, column
(A), including the organization's share of joint venture expenses, and
excluding any bad debt expense included on Part IX, line 25) . . . . . .

6.

Percent of total expense (line 5, column (C) divided by line 6; enter
amount in Part I, line 7e, column (f)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.

6.

7.

(B)
Direct
offsetting
revenue

(C)
Net
community
benefit
expense
(subtract col.
(B) from col. (A)
for lines 1–5)

community health. Such services don't
generate inpatient or outpatient revenue,
although there may be a nominal patient
fee or sliding scale fee for these services.
“Community benefit operations”
means:
• Activities associated with conducting
community health needs assessments,

• Community benefit program
administration, and
• The organization's activities associated
with fundraising or grant writing for
community benefit programs.
Activities or programs cannot be
reported if they are provided primarily for
marketing purposes or if they are more
-18-

beneficial to the organization than to the
community. For example, the activity or
program may not be reported if it is
designed primarily to increase referrals of
patients with third-party coverage,
required for license or accreditation, or
restricted to individuals affiliated with the
organization (employees and physicians
of the organization).
Instructions for Schedule H

To be reported, community need for
the activity or program must be
established. Community need can be
demonstrated through the following.
• A CHNA conducted or accessed by the
organization.
• Documentation that demonstrated
community need or a request from a
public health agency or community group
was the basis for initiating or continuing
the activity or program.
• The involvement of unrelated,
collaborative tax-exempt or government
organizations as partners in the activity or
program carried out for the express
purpose of improving community health.
Community benefit activities or
programs also seek to achieve a
community benefit objective, including
improving access to health services,
enhancing public health, advancing
increased general knowledge, and relief of
a government burden to improve health.
This includes activities or programs that
do the following.
• Are available broadly to the public and
serve low-income consumers.
• Reduce geographic, financial, or
cultural barriers to accessing health
services, and if they ceased would result
in access problems (for example, longer
wait times or increased travel distances).
• Address federal, state, or local public
health priorities such as eliminating
disparities in access to health care
services or disparities in health status
among different populations.
• Leverage or enhance public health
department activities such as childhood
immunization efforts.
• Strengthen community health resilience
by improving the ability of a community to
withstand and recover from public health
emergencies.
• Otherwise would become the
responsibility of government or another
tax-exempt organization.
• Advance increased general knowledge
through education or research that
benefits the public.

community benefit operations activities or
programs.
Report total community benefit
expense, direct offsetting revenue, and
net community benefit expense for each
line item.

Worksheet 5. Health
Professions Education
(Part I, Line 7f)

Worksheet 5 can be used to report the net
cost of health professions education.
“Health professions education” means
educational programs that result in a
degree, a certificate, or training necessary
to be licensed to practice as a health
professional, as required by state law, or
continuing education necessary to retain
state license or certification by a board in
the individual's health profession
specialty. It doesn't include education or
training programs available exclusively to
the organization's employees and
medical staff or scholarships provided to
those individuals. However, it does
include education programs if the primary
purpose of such programs is to educate
health professionals in the broader
community. Costs for medical residents
and interns can be included, even if they
are considered “employees” for purposes
of Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement.
Examples of health professions
education activities or programs that
should and shouldn't be reported are as
follows.

Lines 1a through 1j, column (A). Enter
the name of each reported community
health improvement activity or program
and total community benefit expense for
each. Include both direct costs and
indirect costs in total community benefit
expense. Use additional worksheets if the
organization reports more than 10
community health improvement activities
or programs.
Lines 3a through 3d, column (A). Enter
the name of each reported community
benefit operations activity or program and
total community benefit expense for each.
Include both direct costs and indirect
costs in total community benefit expense.
Use additional worksheets if the
organization enters more than four
Instructions for Schedule H

-19-

Activity or
Program

Report

Example
Rationale

Scholarships
for community
members

Yes

More benefit to
community
than
organization

Scholarships
for staff
members

No

More benefit to
organization
than community

Continuing
medical
education for
community
physicians

Yes

Accessible to
all qualified
physicians

Continuing
medical
education for
own medical
staff

No

Restricted to
own medical
staff members

Nurse
education if
graduates are
free to seek
employment at
any organization

Yes

More benefit to
community
than
organization

Nurse
education if
graduates are
required to
become the
organization's
employees

No

Program
designed
primarily to
benefit the
organization

Lines 1 through 6. Include both direct
and indirect costs. Direct costs of health
professions education don't include costs
related to Ph.D. students and
post-doctoral students, which are to be
entered on Worksheet 7, Research. See
the instructions for Part I, line 7, column
(c), for the definition of “indirect costs.”
"Indirect costs" don't include the estimated
cost of “indirect medical education.”
Direct costs of health professions
education include the following.
• Stipends, fringe benefits of interns,
residents, and fellows in accredited
graduate medical education programs.
• Salaries and fringe benefits of faculty
directly related to intern and resident
education.
• Salaries and fringe benefits of faculty
directly related to teaching:
1. Medical students;
2. Students enrolled in nursing
programs that are licensed by state law or,
if licensing isn't required, accredited by the
recognized national professional
organization for the particular activity;
3. Students enrolled in allied health
professions education programs, licensed
by state law or, if licensing isn't required,
accredited by the recognized national
professional organization for the particular
activity, including, but not limited to,

programs in pharmacy, occupational
therapy, dietetics, and pastoral care; and
4. Continuing health professions
education open to all qualified individuals
in the community, including payment for
development of online or other
computer-based training accepted as
continuing health professions education
by the relevant professional organization.
• Scholarships provided by the
organization to community members.
Line 8. Enter Medicare reimbursement
for direct GME, reimbursement for
approved nursing and allied health
education activities, and direct GME
reimbursement received for services
provided to Medicare Advantage patients.
For a children's hospital that receives
children's GME payments from Health
Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), count that portion of the payment
equivalent to Medicare direct GME. Don't
include indirect GME reimbursement
provided by Medicare or Medicaid.
Line 9. Enter Medicaid reimbursement for
direct GME, including only that portion of
Medicaid GME payment equivalent to
Medicare direct GME and that can be
explicitly segregated by the organization
from other Medicaid net patient revenue.
Don't include indirect GME reimbursement
provided by Medicaid, which is to be
entered Worksheet 3, Unreimbursed
Medicaid and Other Means-Tested
Government Programs. Include Medicaid
reimbursement for nursing and allied
health education. If your state pays
Medicaid GME reimbursement as a lump
sum that includes both direct and indirect
payments, use reasonable methods to
estimate the portion of the lump sum that
is direct (for example, the percent of total
Medicare GME payments that is direct).
Line 10. Enter revenue received for
continuing health professions education
reimbursement or tuition.
Line 11. Enter other revenue received for
health professions education activities
associated with expenses entered on
Worksheet 5, line 7.

Worksheet 6. Subsidized
Health Services (Part I,
Line 7g)

Worksheet 6 can be used to calculate the
net cost of subsidized health services.
Complete Worksheet 6 for each
subsidized health service and enter in Part
I the total for all subsidized health services
combined.
“Subsidized health services” means
clinical services provided despite a
financial loss to the organization. The
financial loss is measured after removing
losses associated with bad debt, financial
assistance, Medicaid, and other

Worksheet 5. Health Professions
Education (Part I, line 7f)

Keep for Your Records
Totals

Total community benefit expense
1. Medical students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.

2. Interns, residents, and fellows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3. Nurses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.

4. Other allied health professions, students . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

5. Continuing health professions education . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

6. Other students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.

7. Total community benefit expense (add lines 1 through
6; enter in Part I, line 7f, column (c)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.

Direct offsetting revenue
8. Medicare reimbursement for direct GME . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8.

9. Medicaid reimbursement for direct GME . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9.

10. Continuing health professions education reimbursement/
tuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10.

11. Other revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11.

12. Total direct offsetting revenue (add lines 8 through 11;
enter in Part I, line 7f, column (d)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12.

13. Net community benefit expense (line 7 minus line 12;
enter in Part I, line 7f, column (e)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13.

14. Total expense (enter amount from Form 990, Part IX,
line 25, column (A), including the organization's share of
joint venture expenses, and excluding any bad debt
expense included on Part IX, line 25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14.

15. Percent of total expense (line 13 divided by line 14;
enter amount in Part I, line 7f, column (f)) . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15.

means-tested government programs.
Losses attributable to these items aren't
included when determining which clinical
services are subsidized health services
because they are reported as community
benefit elsewhere in Part I or as bad debt
in Part III. Losses attributable to these
items are also excluded when measuring
the losses generated by the subsidized
health services. In addition, in order to
qualify as a subsidized health service, the
organization must provide the service
because it meets an identified community
need. A service meets an identified
community need if it is reasonable to
conclude that if the organization no longer
offered the service:
• The service would be unavailable in the
community,
• The community's capacity to provide
the service would be below the
community's need, or

-20-

%

• The service would become the
responsibility of government or another
tax-exempt organization.
Subsidized health services can include
qualifying inpatient programs (for
example, neonatal intensive care,
addiction recovery, and inpatient
psychiatric units) and outpatient programs
(emergency and trauma services, satellite
clinics designed to serve low-income
communities, and home health programs).
Subsidized health services generally
exclude ancillary services that support
inpatient and ambulatory programs such
as anesthesiology, radiology, and
laboratory departments. Subsidized health
services include services or care provided
at physician clinics and skilled nursing
facilities if such clinics or facilities satisfy
the general criteria for subsidized health
services. An organization that includes
any costs associated with stand-alone
physician clinics (not other facilities at
Instructions for Schedule H

which physicians provide services) as
subsidized health services on Part I,
line 7g, must describe that it has done so
and enter on Part VI such costs included
on Part I, line 7g.
Note. The organization can report a
physician clinic as a subsidized health
service only if the organization operated
the clinic and associated hospital services
at a financial loss to the organization
during the year.
Line 3, columns (A) through (D). Enter
the estimated cost for each subsidized
health service. For column (B), enter bad
debt amounts attributable to the
subsidized health service measured by
cost. For column (C), enter amounts
attributable to the subsidized health
service for patients who are recipients of
Medicaid and other means-tested
government health programs. For column
(D), enter financial assistance amounts
attributable to the subsidized health
service measured by cost. Multiply line 1
by line 2 or enter the estimated expense of
each subsidized health service based on
the organization's cost accounting.
Organizations with a cost accounting
system or method more accurate than the
ratio of patient care cost to charges from
Worksheet 2 can rely on that system or
method to estimate the cost of each
subsidized health service.

Worksheet 7. Research
(Part I, Line 7h)

Worksheet 7 can be used to report the
cost of research conducted by the
organization.
Research means any study or
investigation the goal of which is to
generate increased generalizable
knowledge made available to the public
(for example, knowledge about underlying
biological mechanisms of health and
disease, natural processes, or principles
affecting health or illness; evaluation of
safety and efficacy of interventions for
disease such as clinical trials and studies
of therapeutic protocols; laboratory-based
studies; epidemiology, health outcomes,
and effectiveness; behavioral or
sociological studies related to health,
delivery of care, or prevention; studies
related to changes in the health care
delivery system; and communication of
findings and observations, including
publication in a medical journal.) The
organization can include the cost of
internally funded research it conducts, as

Instructions for Schedule H

well as the cost of research it conducts
funded by a tax-exempt or government
entity.

reportable on Part I, lines 7a through 7h.
Report such contributions on line 7i, and
not on lines 7a through 7h.

The organization cannot include on
Part I, line 7h, direct or indirect costs of
research funded by an individual or an
organization that isn't a tax-exempt or
government entity. However, the
organization can describe in Part VI any
research it conducts that isn't funded by
tax-exempt or government entities,
including the cost of such research, the
identity of the funder, how the results of
such research are made available to the
public, if at all, and whether the results are
made available to the public at no cost or
nominal cost.

“Cash and in-kind contributions” means
contributions made by the organization to
health care organizations and other
community groups restricted, in writing, to
one or more of the community benefit
activities described in the table on Part I,
line 7 (and the related worksheets and
instructions). “In-kind contributions”
include the cost of staff hours donated by
the organization to the community while
on the organization's payroll, indirect cost
of space donated to tax-exempt
community groups (such as for meetings),
and the financial value (generally
measured at cost) of donated food,
equipment, and supplies.

Examples of costs of research include,
but aren't limited to, salaries and benefits
of researchers and staff, including
stipends for research trainees (Ph.D.
candidates or fellows); facilities for
collection and storage of research, data,
and samples; animal facilities; equipment;
supplies; tests conducted for research
rather than patient care; statistical and
computer support; compliance (for
example, accreditation for human subjects
protection, biosafety, Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA),
etc.); and dissemination of research
results.
Line 1. Define direct costs under the
guidelines and definitions published by the
National Institutes of Health.
Line 2. Define indirect costs under the
guidelines and definitions published by the
National Institutes of Health.
Line 4. Enter license fees and royalties
the organization received during the tax
year that are directly associated with
research that the organization has (in any
tax year) reported on Schedule H as
community benefit.
Line 5. An example of “other revenue” is
Medicare reimbursement associated with
any research expense reported as
community benefit.

Worksheet 8. Cash and
In-Kind Contributions for
Community Benefit (Part I,
Line 7i)
Worksheet 8 can be used to report cash
contributions or grants and the cost of
in-kind contributions that support financial
assistance, health professions education,
and other community benefit activities

-21-

Don't report as cash or in-kind
contributions any payments that the
organization makes in exchange for a
service, facility, or product, or that the
organization makes primarily to obtain an
economic or physical benefit; for example,
payments made in lieu of taxes that the
organization makes to prevent or forestall
local or state property tax assessments,
and a teaching hospital's payments to its
affiliated medical school for intern or
resident supervision services by the
school's faculty members.
Report cash contributions and grants
made by the organization to entities and
community groups that share the
organization's goals and mission. Don't
report cash or in-kind contributions
contributed by employees, or emergency
funds provided by the organization to the
organization's employees; loans,
advances, or contributions to the capital of
another organization that are reportable in
Part X of the core Form 990; or
unrestricted grants or gifts to another
organization that can, at the discretion of
the grantee organization, be used other
than to provide the type of community
benefit described in the table on Part I,
line 7.
Special rule for grants to joint ventures. If the organization makes a grant to
a joint venture in which it has an
ownership interest to be used to
accomplish one of the community benefit
activities reportable in the table, on Part I,
line 7, enter the grant on line 7i, but don't
include the organization's proportionate
share of the amount spent by the joint
venture on such activities in any other
part of the table, to avoid double counting.

Keep for Your Records

Worksheet 6. Subsidized Health Services (Part I, line 7g)
(A)
Total
subsidized
health
service
program

Program name: ______________________________
Gross patient charges
1. Gross patient charges from program(s) . . . . . . . . .

1.

Total community benefit expense
2. Ratio of patient care cost to charges (from
Worksheet 2, if used) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3. Total community benefit expense (multiply line 1
by line 2, or obtain from cost accounting; enter
column (E) in Part I, line 7g, column (c)) . . . . . . . .

3.

Direct offsetting revenue
4. Net patient service revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

5. Other revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

6. Total direct offsetting revenue (add lines 4 and 5;
enter column (E) in Part I, line 7g, column
(d)). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.

7. Net community benefit expense (subtract line 6
from line 3; enter column (E) in Part I, line 7g,
column (e)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.

8. Total expense (enter amount from Form 990, Part
IX, line 25, column (A), including the organization's
share of joint venture expenses, and excluding any
bad debt expense included on Part IX,
line 25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8.

9. Percent of total expense (line 7, column (E)
divided by line 8; enter in Part I, line 7g, column
(f)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9.

(B)
Bad debt

%

%

(C)
Medicaid and
other meanstested
government
health
programs

%

(D)
Financial
assistance

(E)
Totals
(subtract
columns (B),
(C), and (D)
from column
(A))

%

$

%

-22-

Instructions for Schedule H

Keep for Your Records

Worksheet 7. Research (Part I, line 7h)
Total community benefit expense

1. Direct costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.

2. Indirect costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3. Total community benefit expense (add lines 1 and 2; enter in Part I, line 7h, column
(c)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.

Direct offsetting revenue

4. License fees and royalties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

5. Other revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

6. Total direct offsetting revenue (add lines 4 and 5; enter in Part I, line 7h, column (d)) . . . . . .

6.

7. Net community benefit expense (subtract line 6 from line 3; enter in Part I, line 7h, column
(e)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.

8. Total expense (enter amount from Form 990, Part IX, line 25, column (A), including the
organization's share of joint venture expenses, and excluding any bad debt expense included
on Part IX, line 25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8.

9. Percent of total expense
(divide line 7 by line 8; enter in Part I, line 7h, column (f)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9.

Worksheet 8. Cash and In-Kind Contributions for Community Benefit
(Part I, line 7i)
(A)
Cash contributions
1.

Total community benefit expense (enter amount from
column (C) in Part I, line 7i, column (c)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.

2.

Direct offsetting revenue (enter amount from column
(C) in Part I, line 7i, column (d)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3.

Net community benefit expense (subtract line 2 from
line 1; enter on Part I, line 7i, column (e)) . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.

4.

Total expense (enter amount from Form 990, Part IX,
line 25, column (A), including the organization's share of
joint venture expenses, and excluding any bad debt
expense included on Part IX, line 25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

Percent of total expense (divide line 3 by line 4; enter
in Part I, line 7i, column (f)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

5.

Instructions for Schedule H

-23-

%

Keep for Your Records
(B)
In-kind
contributions

(C)
Total

%

Index
B
Bad Debt, Medicare, &
Collection Practices 5
Worksheet (optional) 6
C
Community Building
Activities 4
Disregarded entity 5
Group return 5
F
Facility Information:
CHNA 8
Community Health Needs
Assessment 8
Facility Policies & Practices:

Billing and Collections 9
Charges for Medical
Care 11
Financial Assistance
Policy 9
Policy Relating to
Emergency Medical
Care 11
Hospital facilities 7
Financial Assistance and
Certain Other Community
Benefits at Cost 2
Contributions for
community benefit 3
M
Management Companies and
Joint Ventures 6

P
Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act:
Hospital facilities 1
Section 501(r) of the
Code 1
S
Supplemental Information 13
W
Worksheets:
1-Financial Assistance at
Cost 15
2-Ratio of Patient Care Cost
to Charges 15

-24-

3-Unreimbursed Medicaid
and Other
Means-Tested
Government
Programs 16
4-Community Health
Improvement Services
and Community Benefit
Operations 19
5-Health Professions
Education 20
6-Subsidized Health
Services 20
7-Research 21
8-Cash and In-Kind
Contributions for
Community Benefit 21