Community Benefit
WakeMed's value to the community is significant and is measured in numerous ways — by the amount of charity care provided; the unreimbursed costs incurred to care for Medicare and Medicaid patients; and the value of our outreach activities, volunteer services, and program support. Reporting these efforts and quantifying their impact is critically important.
Today, more than ever before, we are being called upon by many to be more accountable and transparent about what we are doing for our community. We are pleased to report it publicly so that we clearly demonstrate how WakeMed, as a not-for-profit organization, is fulfilling its mission of community service and meeting its charitable tax-exempt purpose.
Community Health Needs Assessment
Provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) require charitable hospitals like WakeMed Health & Hospitals to conduct a community health needs assessment every three years, and adopt implementation strategies to meet the health needs identified through the assessment.
How Well is Wake County?
WakeMed, the county and other community organizations are currently all working together to measure how well Wake County residents are. After we measure wellness, we will create a report and develop an action plan to address the major health and community issues in our county.
2022-2024 Community Health Needs Assessment
- 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment Executive Summary
- 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment Full Report
- 2022-2024 Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Plan
2019 – 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment & Implementation Plan
- 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment Executive Summary
- 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment Full Report
- 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Plan
- 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Plan Process
Community Benefit Report
340B Report
The 340B Drug Pricing Program is a federal government program requiring drug manufacturers to provide outpatient drugs to eligible health care organizations and covered entities at significantly reduced prices. WakeMed Health & Hospitals and the community we serve benefit significantly from our participation in the 340B program. Click here for WakeMed’s 340B Impact Report.
Previous Community Health Needs Assessment Documents
- 2014 – 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Plan
- 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Plan
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2023
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$116,034,706
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$248,117,775
Health Professions Education
$7,591,387
Community Health Improvement Services & Community Benefit Operations
$ 11,248,431
Cash and In-Kind Contributions
$1,290,884
Community Building Activities
$3,594,339
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$387,877,522
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2022
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$116,562,311
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$126,509,171
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicaid patients*
$45,258,586
Other Government Program Losses
$0
Health Professions Education
$5,684,025
Community Education, Health Improvement, Outreach and Contributions
$13,993,479
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$308,007,572
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2021
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$103,336,382
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$115,463,094
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicaid patients*
$5,935,132
Other Government Program Losses
$0
Health Professions Education
$8,123,824
Community Education, Health Improvement, Outreach and Contributions
$9,558,345
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$242,416,777
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2020
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$102,395,156
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$101,494,272
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicaid patients*
$41,513,967
Other Government Program Losses
$250,891
Health Professions Education
$1,274,187
Community Education, Health Improvement, Outreach and Contributions
$4,892,053
Cash & In-kind contribution to Community Groups
$1,098,879
Community Building Activities
$3,099,890
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$256,019,295
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2019
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$107,308,828
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$110,098,237
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicaid patients*
$30,455,899
Other Government Program Losses
$32,238
Health Professions Education
$5,100,484
Community Education, Health Improvement, Outreach and Contributions
$5,174,896
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$264,217,642
View the complete community benefit report.
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2018
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$89,463,091
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$108,182,401
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicaid patients*
$27,224,528
Other Government Program Losses
$64,248
Health Professions Education
$1,778,784
Community Education, Health Improvement, Outreach and Contributions
$4,514,335
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$237,478,796
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2017
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$84,342,815
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$81,463,182
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicaid patients*
$11,770,079
Other Government Program Losses
$155,040
Health Professions Education
$1,646,387
Community Education, Health Improvement, Outreach and Contributions
$12,800,995
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$192,178,468
View the complete community benefit report.
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2016
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$67,708,576
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$90,048,059
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicaid patients*
$42,552,146
Other Government Program Losses
$299,060
Health Professions Education
$3,048,271
Community Education, Health Improvement, Outreach and Contributions
$12,007,561
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$215,663,673
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2015
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$77,720,227
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$115,823,252
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicaid patients*
$29,391,352
Other Government Program Losses
$255,711
Health Professions Education
$3,297,570
Community Education, Health Improvement, Outreach and Contributions
$9,808,439
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$236,296,551
Direct Community Benefit: FY 2014
Unreimbursed Cost of treating Charity Care patients
$79,602,838
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicare patients
$84,001,674
Unreimbursed costs of treating Medicaid patients*
$26,235,281
Other Government Program Losses
$206,070
Health Professions Education
$46,203,999
Community Education, Health Improvement, Outreach and Contributions
$8,241,098
TOTAL DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFIT
$244,490,960
WakeMed categorizes charity care as care given to patients who have no third party coverage of any kind and are at poverty levels which prohibit them from paying for their care. Unreimbursed cost of treating Medicare and Medicaid patients is the difference between government reimbursement and the hospital's actual cost to provide that care. Bad debt is primarily comprised of the charges for care for those patients who have some type of third party coverage but are unable to pay their co-pays and deductibles.
(Guidelines developed by the VHA and the Catholic Health Association, as well as the North Carolina Hospital Association (NCHA) are used in the calculation and data collection for this report.)