Every nonprofit hospital, including Mayo, is required to provide free or discounted care, also known as "charity care," to maintain its nonprofit status with the IRS and reap the benefits of tax exemption. Experts say that financially strong nonprofit hospitals need to be doing more to make it a fair exchange.
Many patients haven’t heard of "charity care," also known as financial assistance, although every nonprofit hospital, including Mayo Clinic, is required to provide it. And even when patients discover it, many struggle because the application process is too burdensome or they avoid it altogether, reluctant or hesitant to apply for “charity.”