AHA says IRS form 990, Schedule H need revision

The American Hospital Association has filed a letter with the IRS arguing that the agency could do more to accommodate small, cash-strapped institutions in its instructions for filling out Form 990 and the accompanying Schedule H aimed at not-for-profit hospitals. The AHA's input comes as part of the IRS comment period on the draft instructions, which will remain open until June 1st.

In its nine-page comment letter, the AHA raised a number of concerns over core definitions. For example, it cited worries over the agency's definition of "subsidized services," which would exclude physician clinics, skilled nursing and ancillary services. The AHA argued that these services can often be part of a non-profit's charitable mission.

The AHA also cited several definitions that it considered to be too broad, including "key employee" and "facility," which it argued would result in healthcare organizations having to engage in onerous amounts of reporting which don't provide value to the organization itself.

To get more information on the AHA's critique:
- read this Modern Healthcare article (reg. req.)
- read the AHA letter (.pdf)

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