Carle To Appeal Ruling On State Law Regarding Tax Exemption

Carle says it is appealing an Illinois appellate court ruling striking down a state law that provides tax exemptions for hospitals for their charity care. The parent organization of Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana says it will file an appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court prior to the February 9th deadline.

In a press release, spokesperson Jennifer Hendricks-Kaufman says, "Carle remains committed to doing what is right for our patients," she said. "In this instance, that means protecting the community's healthcare resources so we continue to provide quality care and cover the costs of charity care for the people who need it. 

In 2014 alone, Carle provided more than $38 million in charity care at cost to 31,000 people for medically necessary treatment."

She also called “inappropriate” a decision Wednesday by the Champaign County Board of Review to place Carle properties back on the tax rolls, because in her words, "the recent appellate court opinion is not the law of the land."

Hendricks says Carle is determining its next course of action over that decision, including whether it can appeal to the Board of Review.

Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing told the News-Gazette that returning Carle and Presence Covenant Medical Center on the rolls could mean that her city could drop its property tax rates between 11 and 20 percent. 

Hendricks-Kaufman says that in Carle’s view, the appeal is about more than a local property tax exemption, but also "about defining rules and making clear the laws that govern hospitals and municipalities alike."