ALT Chart showing the change in each of the 9 community benefit spending categories from 2010 to 2022.

ALT Top 10 Organizations by spending, total community benefits, national, 2020.

ALT Infographic on Community Benefit Spending. Text reads: Non-profit hospitals in the US receive tax-exempt status in exchange for spending money to help the communities they serve. Community benefit spending is meant to improve population health by addressing the hospital community's health-related needs. How much each hospital spends out of its total budget can vary considerably. Hospitals received an estimated $14.2 billion more in tax breaks than they spent on charity care and community investment in 2020. Most community benefit spending goes toward Medicaid shortfalls, financial assistance, and health professions education. Hospitals spend less than 10% on preventative activities and community improvement. In 2019, hospitals spent over 5x as much on Medicaid than on all preventative categories combined. Community benefit data can uncover changes in community benefit priorities across time and place. For example, terms related to "equity" appeared in only 11.9% of all filings in 2010.