Nonprofit hospitals like Allina get massive tax breaks in exchange for providing care for the poorest, most vulnerable people in their communities. Allina Health owns 13 hospitals and more than 90 clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Its nonprofit status enabled Allina to avoid roughly $266 million in state, local and federal taxes in 2020, according to the Lown Institute, a think tank that studies health care. But the federal rules are silent on how poor patients need to be to qualify for free care. “The industry needs to tell people they might be eligible for charity care,” Mr. Ellison said.

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Persons: Allina, Ge Bai, Mr, Ellison, ” Organizations: The Times, Allina Health, Lown Institute, Internal Revenue Service, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Locations: Minnesota, Wisconsin