The Michigan Health & Hospital Association’s (MHA) recently released 2022 Community Benefit Report highlights nearly $4.2 billion in investments made toward community services and programs among Michigan hospitals in FY 2020.
The report details the wide range of services and programs Michigan hospitals offered to their communities in the first year of the pandemic, from both inside and outside health care settings, in order to promote the health and wellness of communities throughout the state.
Some key investments are detailed below:
- $60 million for community health education, counseling, self help, support groups, family support, and community benefit operations. MHA notes that 2.9 million Michiganders accessed these services in 2020.
- $51 million for health screenings, immunizations, non-billed and reduced fee clinics, discounted prescriptions and medical supplies, and financial and in-kind support. MHA notes that 443,689 Michiganders accessed these services in 2020.
- $5 million for in-home services, meals/nutrition, and transportation. MHA notes that 115,357 Michiganders accessed these services in 2020.
- $573 million for health care workforce retention and development. MHA notes that 88,370 Michiganders were served through this investment in 2020.
- $6.5 million for community building activities. MHA notes that 341,722 Michiganders were served through this investment in 2020.
- $161 million for population health improvement studies.
Anthony Denton, Senior Vice President and COO of University of Michigan Hospitals, Health Centers and Medical Group, emphasized the importance of these community-based partnerships.
“The programs and services that hospitals and health systems provide have a long-term and positive impact on community health,” Denton said. “Patients and communities became more intertwined than ever as healthcare teams worked to provide care, compassion, financial and in-kind resources and knowledge throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to do so.
Our role as anchor institutions is and has always been vital, providing an important uplift to those in need by way of various contributions which demonstrate our value as a major community asset. Through our many efforts, we are privileged to build bridges and connect communities to inform, elevate and empower individuals and families to mitigate social determinants and advance health, inspire hope and foster meaningful presence.”
During FY 2020, Michigan hospitals also provided more than $1.2 billion in uncompensated care for Medicare beneficiaries and $1.5 billion for Medicaid beneficiaries. Hospitals provided $185 million in uncompensated care for individuals qualifying for financial assistance and $177 million for other government programs and subsidized health services. The total unpaid costs of patient care rose from $2.2 billion in FY 2017 to $3.4 billion in FY 2020.
The report also revealed important data regarding the state’s health care workforce, emphasizing that hospitals continue to serve as one of the state’s largest employers despite significant staffing losses that occurred during the pandemic. In 2020, hospitals alone employed 224,000 Michiganders.
Data from 2019 and 2020 also shows that 39% of health care workers in Michigan are employed by hospitals, and the wages, salaries, and benefits of direct health care workers in the state make up over 42% of the health care sector payroll.
The report also notes that the health care sector contributes $91 billion to jobs in Michigan.