St. Luke’s Health System provided nearly $654 million in unreimbursed services, charity care, capital investments, community benefits and programs to the communities it served in fiscal year 2016, according to community benefit reports filed with Ada, Canyon and Twin Falls counties.

Idaho Code 63-602D requires not-for-profit hospitals with 150 or more beds to file a community benefit report with the Board of Equalization.

St. Luke's and other not-for-profit hospitals filing reports provided care to every patient, regardless of their ability to pay. In 2016, St. Luke's incurred nearly $80 million in costs to provide care to those who were unable to or did not pay. (Note: This figure represents the cost of care; actual charges would be higher.)

The reports also show that St. Luke’s incurred an additional $325 million in unreimbursed costs caring for patients covered by federal and state government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

St. Luke’s subsidized numerous community services in 2016, reflecting the organization’s commitment to build healthier communities and improve access to care. In 2016, these services totaled $41,179,580. Some examples:

• In Ada County, community services subsidized by St. Luke’s totaled $31 million and included education programs involving Air St. Luke’s, such as landing zone trainings and education simulation labs.
• St. Luke’s provided $9 million in community services in Twin Falls County, including free cancer screenings and health fairs.
• Canyon County community services subsidized by St. Luke’s totaled $966,168 and included direct cash and in-kind donations to not-for-profit organizations such as Terry Reilly Health Services, Boys & Girls Club of Nampa and the Canyon County Community Clinic.

The need for new or expanded facilities due to area population growth and the continuing emergence of medical technology fueled more than $259 million in capital investment in 2016. These investments improve the access, quality, and efficiency of health care for people living in the region:

• Capital investments in Twin Falls County totaling $37 million and including the cardiac catheterization lab upgrade and addition, which began in 2015 and continued during 2016.
• Canyon County’s capital investments totaled $30 million and focused on St. Luke’s Nampa campus development, which will expand the range of healthcare services available to residents in the growing community.
• St. Luke’s reported $190 million in capital additions in Ada County. This includes downtown Boise campus development; in 2016, St. Luke’s invested more than $7 million in architectural, planning and project costs related to the expansion.