Assessing Concordance Across Nonprofit Hospitals' Public Reporting on Housing as a Community Health Need in the Era of the Affordable Care Act. Issue 2 (30th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Katherine L.; Chen, Kevin; Holaday, Louisa W.; Lopez, Leo
• Is Part Of: Journal of public health management and practice. Volume 28:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: E615
• Page End: E618
• Publication Date: 2022-03-30
• Subjects: community benefit -- Community Health Needs Assessment -- housing -- nonprofit hospitals -- social determinants of health; Public health administration -- United States -- Periodicals; 253.6
• DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001357
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1078-4659

Abstract

Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Abstract : Although the Affordable Care Act requires nonprofit hospital organizations to report how they identify and invest in community health needs, the utility of mandated reporting documents for tracking investments in the social determinants of health has been questioned. Using public reporting documents and focusing on housing as a social determinant of health, we describe how nonprofit hospital organizations in 5 communities with the highest rates of homelessness document needs and investments related to housing on their Community Health Needs Assessments, Implementation Strategies, and Schedule H (990H) tax forms. Of 47 organizations, 55% identified housing as a health need, 36% described housing-related implementation strategies, and 26% reported relevant 990H spending. Overall concordance among identified needs, strategies, and spending was low, with only 15% of organizations addressing housing across all 3 documents. Regulatory reform could help promote accountability and transparency in organizations' efforts to address housing and other health-related social needs.