FAQs
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Hospital Finance
Hospital Finance
Explore financial data of tax-exempt hospitals
1
What is the purpose of the Hospital Finance Explorer?

Our platform is designed to increase transparency into nonprofit hospital operations. It allows users to view, search, and compare financial performance, executive compensation, and key operational metrics across U.S. hospitals using publicly available data.

2
Where does the financial data come from?

All data is sourced from IRS Form 990 filings submitted by nonprofit hospitals and accessed via the IRS and/or ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer API. We also use additional publicly available sources for context where relevant.

3
What types of financial metrics are included?

Commonly displayed metrics include total revenue, total expenses, total assets, total liabilities, net assets, executive compensation, and patient service revenue, among others.

4
How frequently is the data updated?

IRS Form 990 data is published annually. We update our platform periodically as new filings become available, typically lagging by 12–18 months due to IRS processing timelines.

5
How do you calculate executive compensation?

Executive compensation figures are taken directly from IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings. They reflect reportable compensation from the organization and related organizations, including bonuses, deferred compensation, and other benefits.

6
Why are some executives listed multiple times?

Executives may appear more than once if they served multiple roles, worked for different related entities, or were listed in multiple filings.

7
How can I verify the accuracy of the compensation data?

Each entry on our platform is traceable back to its original ProPublica Page where the original IRS Form 990 filing can be found. Users may click under 990 Forms “view filing” to see the original document.

8
Why are some hospitals listed under unfamiliar names?

The names listed are the official legal names from IRS filings, which may differ from the hospital’s brand or commonly known name. Where applicable, we also display “DBA” (doing business as) or commonly recognized names to aid recognition.

9
Can I search by a hospital’s brand name?

Yes, you can search by legal name, DBA, or known community name. Our platform maps legal entities to their public-facing identity for easier discovery.

10
Why do some hospitals share the same EIN?

Large hospital systems often consolidate financials under a single EIN. In these cases, executive compensation and financial data may reflect the entire system rather than one individual facility.

11
Is this data audited or verified?

The data is taken from publicly available IRS filings, which are subject to legal accuracy requirements but are not audited by us. We do not alter the source data and recommend verifying any critical information through the original Form 990.

12
What should I do if I find an error or discrepancy?

Please contact us at support@cmetrail.com with the hospital name, EIN, and year in question. We’ll investigate and, if needed, update or annotate the data.

13
Are physician or staff salaries included?

The platform primarily displays compensation for officers, directors, trustees, and key employees as reported in IRS filings. It does not include salary data for general staff unless they are explicitly listed as highly compensated individuals.

14
Is it legal to publish this data?

es. IRS Form 990 filings are public records required by law for tax-exempt organizations. We simply organize and display this data to improve accessibility and transparency.

15
Do you include any private health information (PHI)?

No. Our application contains no patient-level data or protected health information. All data is institutional and publicly available.

16
Do you profit from this data?

This tool is provided for public education and awareness. While it is part of the CME Trail platform, it is not tied to CME credit and is not monetized through data resale or advertising.

17
Can I export data from the site?

Users can view and interact with charts and tables online. Data export functionality (e.g., CSV download) may be offered in future versions.

18
Can I compare multiple hospitals side by side?

Yes. Our comparison tool allows you to select up to five hospitals and view trends over time for key metrics.

19
Do you offer filtering by location or specialty?

Yes. You can search or filter hospitals by name, city, state, ZIP code, or region.

20
Who can benefit from this tool?

This platform is intended for healthcare professionals, policy researchers, journalists, and the public — anyone interested in nonprofit hospital accountability and transparency.