Report: NC nonprofit hospitals falling short on charity care

State Treasurer Dale Folwell says many North Carolina nonprofit hospitals are falling short in treating the poor for free or reduced rates to validate their tax-exempt status. Folwell made the comments Wednesday while discussing a report that Johns Hopkins University developed with help from the State Health Plan. The report found that in a recent year a majority of the state’s largest nonprofit hospital systems failed to generate charity care spending that exceeded 60% of the value of each system’s tax breaks. An association representing North Carolina hospitals says the report leaves out many other benefits they provide to their communities.