Dartmouth-Hitchcock provides health care to patients regardless of insurance status or financial ability to pay, and qualifies patients for free or reduced cost health care based on its Financial Assistance Policy.  Following Medicaid Expansion in NH, there have been a few years of declining loss on care provided via Financial Assistance, as patients previously uninsured began to become eligible for Medicaid.  

This meaure represents loss 'at-cost' to provide care for patients needing financial assistance.  "At-Cost" is a term defined by the IRS to ensure consistency of reporting across hospitals, and is a reasonable representation of the actual cost to provide care for patients needing financial assistance - pay to care team members, cost of medical supplies, heat, lighting, and other tangible costs that represent real expenses incurred providing care.