Punxsutawney Area Hospital – Jefferson County – Tobacco Settlement Payment Data for Year 2026

The Punxsutawney Area Hospital is involved in the Tobacco Settlement Program, which provides payments to hospitals for uncompensated care services as mandated by the Tobacco Settlement Act of 2001. To qualify for payments, hospitals can use either the uncompensated care or extraordinary expense approach. The Department of Human Services (DHS) enlisted procedures to verify eligibility for such payments. For fiscal year 2024, the hospital had two claims under review; one claim qualified as an extraordinary expense, potentially entitling the hospital to 2026 Tobacco Settlement funds. The hospital accurately reported inpatient and Medicaid days, which substantiates their claims for the settlement. Facilities eligible for the subsidy will choose their preferred calculation method. Hospitals must adjust any erroneous claims in databases to maintain eligibility. Additional uncompensated claims must be submitted by October 31, 2025, for consideration. This is an automated summary. Please rely on the contents included in the released audit report.