Press Release  Massachusetts Hospitals and HMOs Report Contributing Approximately $1.2 Billion In Community Benefits In Fiscal Year 2024

BOSTON — The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) today announced that in fiscal year 2024, Massachusetts hospitals and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) contributed $1.2 billion in total Community Benefits expenditures, according to reports submitted by the hospitals and HMOs and published by the AGO.  

A total of 52 hospitals filed Community Benefits reports for fiscal year 2024, covering the period from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Forty-eight nonprofit hospitals report contributing $1 billion in total Community Benefits expenditures, of which $121 million was spent on free and discounted care. Four for-profit hospitals report contributing $17 million in total Community Benefits expenditures, of which $94,208 went to free and discounted care.  

A total of five HMOs filed Community Benefits reports for fiscal year 2024. They reported contributing $153 million in total Community Benefits expenditures, of which $132 million was allocated to the state’s Health Safety Net, which pays for care for uninsured and underinsured residents who cannot access affordable health coverage.   

Hospitals and HMOs reported spending approximately $566 million on Community Benefits programs. $331 million of Community Benefits program spending was allocated to one of four statewide health priorities—chronic disease ($151.4 million), housing stability and homelessness ($19.7 million), mental health ($131.3 million), and substance use disorder ($28.9 million). The remaining program funds were allocated to address other local health needs identified by communities. 

Many hospitals and HMOs reported Community Benefits programs targeted to support maternal health, youth health, food insecurity, and community health. The following are examples of Community Benefits programs from this year’s reports:   

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’s Health Justice Partnership and Grant program provided $600,000 in financial support and pro bono services to eight Massachusetts nonprofits to address food insecurity and build a more sustainable food system that increases access to nutritious, affordable food across the Commonwealth. 
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Sun Safety Education and Screening Program provided free skin cancer prevention education and screening to community residents and those at highest risk for skin cancer through the Blum Family Resource Van. In FY24, 17 in-person sun safety screening events were held, and 884 participants were screened by a dermatologist. Participants were educated on sun safety and skin cancer prevention practices by DFCI staff and health educator volunteers.
• Faulkner Hospital’s partnership with the Manning School in Jamaica Plain established programs to enrich students' wellness curriculum, encourage early awareness of how to foster good health, and help students deal with outside factors that may interfere with their health. In FY24, more than 125 students in grades 1-4 received four health classes per month, over 100 students participated in health career lessons, and students in grades K-3 received garden lessons to learn about growing food, life cycles, and healthy foods. 
• Heywood Health System in partnership with the CHNA9 Health Equity Partnership established a Maternal Care Hub of North Central MA, comprised of members representing various sectors, including healthcare, behavioral health, domestic violence, nutrition, doulas, political leaders, and community members from diverse backgrounds to inform and support maternal health strategies and enhance access to high quality, culturally competent maternal care. 
• Lahey Hospital & Medical Center partnered with the Burlington Police Department to provide funding to support a mental health clinician as a substance use coordinator to provide outreach to persons identified by police as having substance use issues. In FY24, the clinician assisted 191 individuals and families.  

All Massachusetts Community Benefits reports, including information about the goals and impact of each program, are available on the AGO’s Community Benefits webpage. Recently, the AGO convened hospitals and HMOs for a presentation on ways to address the maternal health crisis with Community Benefits programs.   

The Community Benefits Program is managed by Health Care Analyst Maeva Veillard Perry of AG Campbell’s Health Care Division and Senior Health Policy Advisor Sandra Wolitzky of AG Campbell’s Health Care and Fair Competition Bureau.

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