Carilion Community Benefit: $154.9 Million

Carilion Clinic’s overall community benefit hit a new high in 2009, reaching $154.9 million. The expenditures were spread throughout the region, including the Roanoke and New River valleys and Giles, Tazewell, Franklin, Bedford and Rockbridge counties.

Carilion reports its community benefit to the Internal Revenue Service each year, basing the figures on IRS guidelines. Carilion Clinic is a community asset with no owners, investors or stockholders. Its revenue stays in the region and is reinvested to meet local health care needs.

As a not-for-profit organization, Carilion is exempt from paying most taxes (though Carilion does pay taxes on some property, including the new Riverside development in Roanoke). In 2009, Carilion was exempt from $22.7 million in taxes. In return, Carilion gave approximately $154.9 million back to the community, nearly $7 for every dollar of tax exemption.

Uncompensated care made up most of the reported community benefit, at $129 million. This includes charity care, Medicare and Medicaid costs that are not reimbursed, and the cost of care that is later classified as uncollectible. In 2009, Carilion provided an average of $350,000 in uncompensated care every day.

Carilion also provided $20.8 million to train doctors and other local health professionals, $2.7 million for community health improvement programs, $1.6 million in contributions and grants to community health organizations, and $680,430 to support local health research.