This information is directed at hospitals required to file Form 990 Schedule H (community benefit information). Its purpose is to alert hospitals to the need to implement a tracking and reporting mechanism as soon as possible. The new Schedule H involves considerably more substance than simply charity care and means-tested programs such as Medicaid. Much of the buzz so far concerns charity care and bad debt and whether to follow the guidelines of HFMA Statement 15. Although charity care and public program shortfalls are very significant numbers reported in Schedule H, they are not the only numbers. (more…)