PART I, LINE 3C:
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PATIENTS WHOSE FAMILY INCOME EXCEEDS 200% OF THE FPL MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE DISCOUNTED RATES ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, AT THE DISCRETION OF OCHSNER, FOR CATASTROPHIC ILLNESS ORMEDICAL INDIGENCE, WITH EXCEPTIONS SUCH AS EXPENSIVE MEDICATIONS, TERMINAL ILLNESS, OR MULTIPLE HOSPITALIZATIONS.
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PART I, LINE 7:
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LINE 7E COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT SERVICES AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT OPERATIONS INCLUDES DIRECT EXPENSE INCLUDING EMPLOYEE PAYROLL FOR COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.LINE 7I INCLUDES DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHARITIES THAT MEET IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY NEEDS.
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PART II, COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES:
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OCHSNER CHOCTAW GENERAL IS A 25-BED CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL LOCATED IN BUTLER, ALABAMA THAT PROVIDES A WIDE RANGE OF INPATIENT, OUTPATIENT, AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. THIS FACILITY IS A HOSPITAL BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY. OPENED IN MARCH 2012, OCHSNER CHOCTAW GENERAL IS PROUD TO BE THE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FOR THE PEOPLE OF BUTLER AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. PATIENTS ARE CARED FOR UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THEIR PHYSICIAN BY A LICENSED HEALTH CARE TEAM. THIS TEAM INCLUDES REGISTERED NURSES, PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, DIETITIANS, PHARMACISTS, AND OTHER ANCILLARY STAFF DEPENDING ON THE PATIENT'S MEDICAL NEEDS. OCHSNER CHOCTAW GENERAL SUPPORTS EDUCATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS BY OFFERING CLINICAL ROTATIONS AND STUDENT SHADOWING. ADDITIONALLY, LEADERS FROM THE HOSPITAL HAVE PARTICIPATED IN HEALTHCARE COALITIONS TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTH. HEALTH EDUCATION HAS BEEN OFFERED AT A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY LOCATIONS, INCLUDING FAITH BASED INSTITUTIONS.
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PART III, LINE 2:
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OCHSNER CLINIC FOUNDATION AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES (OCHSNER) RECOGNIZES NET PATIENT SERVICE REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH SERVICES PROVIDED TO PATIENTS WHO HAVE THIRD-PARTY PAYOR COVERAGE ON THE BASIS OF CONTRACTUAL RATES FOR THE SERVICES RENDERED. UNINSURED PATIENTS RECEIVE AN UNINSURED DISCOUNT AND ARE SCREENED PRESUMPTIVELY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. BASED ON HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OCHSNER'S UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED PATIENTS WILL BE INCAPABLE OR RELUCTANT TO PAY FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED. REMAINING CHARGES IN THE PERIOD THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED RELATED TO PATIENT RECEIVABLES AND DEDUCTIBLES, CO-PAYMENTS, OR OTHER AMOUNTS DUE FROM INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS WHO HAVE BEEN DEEMED UNWILLING TO PAY MAY BE CONSIDERED BAD DEBT, AND THUS REDUCE PATIENT SERVICE REVENUE. ANY CHARGES RELATED TO BANKRUPTCY ARE WRITTEN OFF AS BAD DEBT EXPENSE. MOST OF THE BAD DEBT REDUCES NET PATIENT REVENUE.NOTE THAT BAD DEBT IS USUALLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PATIENT CHARGES AND ANY INSURANCE PAYMENTS. THEREFORE, APPLYING THE COST TO CHARGE RATIO TO BAD DEBT WOULD NOT PROPERLY GET TO BAD DEBT AT COST, AS THERE IS NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF BAD DEBT AND THE COST TO PROVIDE CARE. THEREFORE, THE AMOUNT EXPRESSED HERE IS NOT EXPRESSED "AT COST."
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PART III, LINE 4:
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EFFECTIVE JAN. 1, 2018, OCHSNER ADOPTED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS UPDATE (ASU) 2014-09, REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS (TOPIC 606), WHICH OUTLINES A SINGLE COMPREHENSIVE MODEL FOR ENTITIES TO USE IN ACCOUNTING FOR REVENUE ARISING FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS. ASU 2014-09 SUPERSEDED MOST CURRENT REVENUE RECOGNITION GUIDANCE, INCLUDING INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE, AND REQUIRES EXPANDED DISCLOSURES ABOUT REVENUE RECOGNITION TO ENABLE FINANCIAL STATEMENT USERS TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE, TIMING, ACCOUNT AND UNCERTAINTY OF REVENUE AND CASH FLOWS ARISING FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS. BAD DEBT IS NO LONGER DISCLOSED IN THE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
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PART III, LINE 8:
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THE MEDICARE SHORTFALL, IF ANY, IS NOT CONSIDERED COMMUNITY BENEFIT. TOTAL REVENUE FROM MEDICARE AND MEDICARE ALLOWABLE COSTS WERE AGGREGATED FROM THE FISCAL YEAR COST REPORTS FILED WITH CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES FOR ALL HOSPITALS. THEY DO NOT INCLUDE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OR PAYMENTS RELATED TO EDUCATION OR RESEARCH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS. THE MEDICARE COST REPORT WAS USED TO PULL THE RELATED REVENUES AND ALLOWABLE COSTS.
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PART III, LINE 9B:
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UPON GRANTING APPROVAL FOR 100% ASSISTANCE, ALL COLLECTION EFFORTS FOR THAT ACCOUNT WILL CEASE, THE ACCOUNT WILL NOT BE TURNED OVER TO A COLLECTION AGENCY, AND OCHSNER WILL NOT IMPOSE EXTRAORDINARY COLLECTION EFFORTS SUCH AS WAGE GARNISHMENTS OR LIENS.
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PART V, SECTION B
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THIS LEGAL ENTITY IS RUSH HOSPITAL - BUTLER INC. D/B/A OCHSNER CHOCTAW GENERAL.
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PART VI, LINE 3:
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ALL UNINSURED PATIENTS ARE SCREENED FOR MEDICAID. THE PROCESS TAKES PLACE AT THE TIME OF SERVICE, INPATIENT ADMISSIONS, AND IF THE PATIENT IS NOT SCREENED AT THE TIME, THE PATIENT IS CONTACTED AT HOME TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY. IF THE PATIENTS DO NOT QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID, THEN THEY WILL BE EVALUATED UNDER THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE POLICY. INTERNAL CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS INCLUDING COLLECTION AGENCIES PROVIDE PATIENTS WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS IF PATIENTS EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT THE INABILITY TO PAY OUTSTANDING BALANCES. OCHSNER ALSO OFFERS ZERO INTEREST PAYMENT PLAN OPTIONS WITH PAYMENT TERMS RANGING FROM SIX TO 60 MONTHS.
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PART VI, LINE 4:
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OCHSNER CHOCTAW GENERAL'S PRIMARY SERVICE AREA IS CHOCTAW COUNTY, ALABAMA. CHOCTAW COUNTY HAS 913.5 SQUARE MILES OF LAND AREA AND IS THE 13TH LARGEST COUNTY IN ALABAMA BY TOTAL AREA. CHOCTAW COUNTY IS BORDERED BY WAYNE COUNTY, MS; CLARKE COUNTY, AL; MARENGO COUNTY, AL; WASHINGTON COUNTY, AL; SUMTER COUNTY, AL; CLARKE COUNTY, MS; AND, LAUDERDALE COUNTY, MS. THESE SURROUNDING COUNTIES SERVE AS OCHSNER CHOCTAW GENERAL'S SECONDARY SERVICE AREA. CHOCTAW COUNTY HAS A TOTAL POPULATION OF 12,755 CITIZENS, WHILE THE STATE OF ALABAMA HAS A TOTAL POPULATION OF 4,893,186. THE OVERALL POPULATION FOR CHOCTAW COUNTY HAS SEEN A DECREASE IN THE POPULATION GROWTH RATE OVER A 5-YEAR TREND AT 4.78%; ALABAMA HAS SEEN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE POPULATION GROWTH RATE OVER A 5-YEAR TREND AT 1.30%. IN COMPARISON, THE UNITED STATES SAW AN INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY 3.18%. FURTHER ANALYSIS OF CHOCTAW COUNTY'S CENSUS DATA SHOWS THAT THE COUNTY'S POPULATION IS 47.8% MALE AND 52.2% FEMALE. THIS HARDLY DIFFERS FROM THE STATE AVERAGE 48.4% MALE AND 51.6% FEMALE. CHOCTAW COUNTY HAS A MEDIAN AGE OF 46.6 YEARS WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE STATE'S MEDIAN AGE OF 39.2 YEARS. IN CHOCTAW COUNTY, 56.7% OF THE POPULATION IS WHITE; THIS STAT IS 68.2% FOR THE STATE OF ALABAMA. WHILE CHOCTAW COUNTY AND THE STATE SHARE SIMILAR RACIAL MIXES, THE ETHNIC MIX IN CHOCTAW COUNTY SHOWS LESS DIVERSITY WHEN COMPARED TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA: 0.6% OF THE POPULATION IN CHOCTAW COUNTY IS HISPANIC OR LATINO COMPARED TO 4.2% OF THE POPULATION IN ALABAMA. WHEN EVALUATING RESIDENTS THAT ARE 25 YEARS OR OLDER, 81.4% OF CHOCTAW COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA (INCLUDES GED) OR HIGHER COMPARED TO 85.7% OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA. CHOCTAW COUNTY HAS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT IN ALL CATEGORIES UP TO "SOME COLLEGE, NO DEGREE," WHILE THE ALABAMA HAS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ATTAINMENT. THIS PERCENTAGE IS 23.9% FOR CHOCTAW COUNTY COMPARED TO 33.2% FOR THE STATE OF ALABAMA.
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PART VI, LINE 5:
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RUSH HEALTH SYSTEMS OFFICIALLY MERGED WITH OCHSNER HEALTH TO BECOME OCHSNER RUSH HEALTH. THE MOVE EXPANDS PATIENT ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CARE IN EAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST ALABAMA AND ANCHORS OCHSNER'S SERVICES AT SEVEN REGIONAL HOSPITALS. ENHANCED PATIENT CARE INCLUDES INCREASED ACCESS TO OCHSNER'S SPECIALTY AND SUBSPECIALTY SERVICES, TECHNOLOGICAL AND DIGITAL CAPABILITIES AND ROBUST CLINICAL RESEARCH NETWORK.ALL MEMBERS OF RUSH HOSPITAL BUTLER, INC'S BOARD RESIDE IN BUTLER, INC'S PRIMARY SERVICE AREA. THE ORGANIZATION HAS AN OPEN MEDICAL STAFF EXTENDING PRIVILEGES TO ALL QUALIFIED PHYSICIANS AND NON-PHYSICIAN PRACTITIONERS THAT APPLY FOR PRIVILEGES AND MEET ALL REQUIREMENTS OF CREDENTIALING AND THE MEDICAL STAFF RULES AND REGS AND BY-LAWS. THE FACILITY UTILIZES SURPLUS FUNDS FOR ADDITIONAL MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, RECRUITMENT OF MEDICAL STAFF THAT IS OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE (I.E. NEUROSURGERY, MIDWIFERY, ETC.), FUNDING OF LOCAL AREA HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE TRAINING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. OCHSNER HEALTH EXPANDED THE COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION (DEI) TO BETTER SUPPORT STAFF & THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE INTO OCHSNER RUSH HEALTH. THE DEI TEAM DEEPENED EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AROUND DEI GOALS & OBJECTIVES, EXPANDED TRAINING PROGRAMS, & IMPLEMENTED NEW MEASURES TO ADVANCE OCF SUPPLIER DIVERSITY GOALS. TO HIGHLIGHT AND BUILD AN APPRECIATION FOR THE DIFFERENCES THAT MAKE EMPLOYEES STRONGER AND TO ADDRESS THE NEED OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL TO FEEL VALUED AND RESPECTED, TEN OCHSNER RESOURCE GROUPS (ORGS) CONTINUE TO BE SUPPORTED WITH RESOURCES ACROSS OCHSNER HEALTH INCLUDING OCHSNER RUSH HEALTH. OCHSNER ALSO PROVIDES EMPLOYEES AT OCHSNER RUSH HEALTH THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK INSIDE OF THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE OCHSNERSERVES EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERISM PROGRAM. OCHSNERSERVES EMPOWERS EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT THE OCHSNER SYSTEM TO BE COMMUNITY-INVOLVED BY PROVIDING FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES WITH 8 HOURS OF PAID VOLUNTEER TIME EACH YEAR & MAKES IT EASY TO ACCESS VOLUNTEER EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH A CENTRALIZED PORTAL. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE HEALTH OF OUR ENVIRONMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTH OF OUR PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES.
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PART VI, LINE 6:
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THE ORGANIZATION IS PART OF OCHSNER HEALTH. OCHSNER HEALTH IS THE LARGEST NON-PROFIT, ACADEMIC, MULTI-SPECIALTY, INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEM IN THE GULF COAST REGION. THE ORGANIZATION IS FOUNDED ON PROVIDING THE BEST PATIENT CARE, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATION. OCHSNER OPERATES 26 HOSPITALS AND IS AFFILIATED WITH 19 OTHER HOSPITALS ACROSS LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, AND ALABAMA. OCHSNER EMPLOYS OVER 1,700 PHYSICIANS THAT HAVE OVER 1,500 BOARD CERTIFICATIONS IN APPROXIMATELY 90 SPECIALTIES, TRAINS OVER 1,000 MEDICAL RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS ANNUALLY. IN 2022, MORE THAN 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE FROM ALL 50 STATES AND 62 COUNTRIES VISITED OCHSNER.
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PART I, LINE 6A
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THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT REPORT IS PREPARED BY IT'S PARENT ORGANIZATION, OCHSNER CLINIC FOUNDATION (TIN #72-0502505).
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