— in expenses

Membership services: by far our largest expense group, this category, among other things, encompasses the expenditures for the infrastructure for our federal advocacy efforts, including employee compensation and benefit costs, and consulting contracts with outside lobbyists and other consultants. Our accomplishments have been to help facilitate optimal healthcare policies for hospitals and the patients they serve on certain key issues and to keep the federation well positioned for effective advocacy on other issues of importance to our membership, both before congress and the administration.

— in expenses

General counsel and research: this category includes the costs of certain contracted health care consultants and law firms which provide analysis, counsel and advocacy support services for the federation's policy and legal agenda. The ever-changing health policy environment and the federation's advocacy efforts related to health care reforms made this category one of the most significant expenditure areas in 2024.

— in expenses

External affairs: this category includes expenditures for the internal and external operations of our external affairs team, which develops and implements the FAH advocacy, and communications strategy and it includes expenditures for compensation and benefit costs as well as for contracted consultants and researchers. The traditional and social media environment for health policy is ever-expanding, and efforts to implement and expand an impactful media presence have made this category a significant area for expenditures in 2024.