Schools win big victory over dishonest Pennsylvania hospitals

Today, February 10, 2023, the Commonwealth Court ruled that four Tower Health hospitals are not eligible for property tax exemptions. This ruling allows for Pennsylvania healthcare consumers and patients to no longer be kept in the dark by dishonest practices that put profits ahead of patients.

“PatientRightsAdvocate.org is thrilled that the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania heeded our Amicus brief and the arguments of the school districts in deciding to deny tax exempt status to four hospitals purchased by Tower Health System, said Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman of PatientRightsAdvocat.org. These hospitals paying taxes is a great win for these Pennsylvania school districts. The big business of hospitals has been hiding behind non-profit status and victimizing patients and employers by hiding prices even as it seeks to withhold tax revenue that would otherwise go to public school budgets and the betterment of the community. Schools and communities should use this as inspiration to follow the money and stand up to hospital systems who put profits above patients and disguise themselves as charitable institutions in order to fatten the pockets of their executives and their administrations.”

Over the summer, PatientRightsAdvocate.Org (PRA), in partnership with Families USA, filed an Amicus Brief in the case Pottstown School District (plaintiff-appellant) v. Pottstown Hospital, LLC, et al (defendants-appellees) which focuses on challenging the tax-exempt status of Pottstown Hospital, which is emblematic of this Pennsylvania and national crisis.

Click here to read the full Pottstown School District decision.