What Exactly Is a Public Hospital? (And Why It Matters)
A Public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is predominantly funded by the government and operates predominantly off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In almost all the developed countries but the United States of America, and in most of the developing countries, this type of hospital provides medical care almost free of charge to patients, covering expenses and wages by government reimbursement.
The level of government owning the hospital may be local, municipal, state, regional, or national, and eligibility for service, not just for emergencies, may be available to non-citizen residents.
The American Paradox: Public Hospitals in a Private Healthcare Land
The SUS System: How Brazil’s Public Hospitals Serve Everyone (Almost)
Private hospitals, non-profit philanthropic hospitals, and public hospitals make up the Brazilian health system. The majority of the low- and medium-income population uses services provided by public hospitals run by either the state or the municipality. Since the inception of 1988 Federal Constitution, health care is a universal right for everyone living in Brazil: citizens, permanent residents, and foreigners. The Brazilian government established a national public health insurance system known as SUS (Sistema Unico de Sade, or “Unified Health System”). Under this system, all publicly funded hospitals, both public and philanthropic ones, are compensated based on the number of patients they treat and the number of procedures they perform. The construction and operation of hospitals and health clinics are also a responsibility of the government.
The system provides universal coverage to all patients, including emergency care, preventive medicine, diagnostic procedures, surgeries (except cosmetic procedures) and medicine necessary to treat their condition. However, due to budget constraints, these services are frequently unavailable throughout the majority of the nation, with the exception of major metropolitan areas. Even in those cities, access to complex procedures may be delayed by lengthy lines. Despite this scenario, some patients were able to successfully sue the government for full SUS coverage for procedures performed in non-public facilities.
Recently, new legislation has been enacted forbidding private hospitals to refuse treatment to patients with insufficient funds in case of life-threatening emergencies. The law also determines that the healthcare costs in this situation are to be paid by the SUS.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 8.3% of GDP, i.e. $1,318 per capita.
The $3 Co-Pay: South Africa’s Public Hospital Fee System
South Africa has private and public hospitals. The Department of Health provides funding for public hospitals. The majority of the patients who qualify for a social relief of distress through StatusChecker, use public hospitals in which patients pay a nominal fee, roughly $3–5. The patients point of entry usually is through primary health care (Clinics) usually run by nurses. The next level of care would be district hospitals which have General Practitioners and basic radiographs. The next level of care would be Regional hospitals which have general practitioners, specialists and ICU’s, and CT SCANS. The highest level of care is Tertiary which includes super specialists, MRI scans, and nuclear medicine scans.
Private patients either have healthcare insurance, known as medical aid, or have to pay the full amount privately if uninsured.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 8.8% of GDP, i.e. $1,148 per capita.
The Great White North’s Public Hospital Promise
In Canada all hospitals are funded through Medicare, Canada’s publicly funded universal health insurance system and operated by the provincial governments. All Canadian citizens and permanent residents, regardless of age, income, or social status, are treated in Canadian hospitals. According to the World Health Organization, in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 10.4% of GDP, i.e. $4,641 per capita.
Hospital funding in Canada follows provincial health plans and hospitals are required by law to operate within their budgets. Provincial health plans aim to cover wide area of medical services and procedures, from hospital records to nutritional care. On average physician services receive approximately 15% of provincial health funding, while hospitals get around 35%.
Even though hospitals are mostly funded by taxpayers, some hospitals, as well as medical research facilities, receive charitable donations. Besides this, there is increasing trend of privatisation of some hospital services if those services go beyond provincial health budgets. That is usually done in a form of “outsourcing”. Any service that isn’t directly related to providing basic patient care is likely to be outsourced by hospitals. That includes hospital security, maintenance of information systems, catering service, record keeping. Those services are increasingly provided by private sector. Companies like Data General, Johnson Controls, Versa are main providers of outsourced hospital services in Canada.
States of America In the United States, two thirds of all urban hospitals are non-profit. The remaining third is split between public and for-profit hospitals, though public hospitals are not always not-for-profit corporations. A Public hospital in Urban is often associated with medical schools. The largest public hospital system in the U.S. is NYC Health + Hospitals.
Pest Houses, Practitioners, and Policy: The Journey of Public Healthcare
The safety-net role of public hospitals has evolved since the 1700s when the first U.S. public hospital sheltered and provided medical healthcare to the poor. Until the late 20th century, public hospitals represented the “poor house” that undertook social welfare roles. The “poor house” also provided secondary medical care, specifically during epidemics. These “poor houses” became known as “pest houses” as a result. Following this phase was the “practitioner period” during which, the then welfare oriented urban public hospitals changed their focus to medical care and formalized nursing care. This new phase was highlighted by the private physicians providing care to patients outside their private practices into inpatient hospital settings. To put into practice the demands of the Flexner Report published in 1910, public hospitals later benefited from the best medical care technology to hire full-time staff members, instruct medical and nursing students during the “academic period”. The privatization of public hospitals was often contemplated during this period and stalled once an infectious disease outbreak such as influenza in 1918, tuberculosis in the early 1900s, and the polio epidemic in the 1950s hit the U.S.. At this time, with the goal to improve people’s health and welfare by allowing for effective health planning and the creation of neighborhood health centers, health policies like the Social Security Act were enacted. This was followed by Medicare and Medicaid Act in 1965 that gave poor people in the U.S., access to inpatient and outpatient medical care from public hospitals after racial segregation ended in the South. With their mandate to care for low income patients, the public hospital started engaging in leadership roles in the communities they care for since the 1980s.
There was a 14% decrease in public hospitals in the United States from 2008 to 2018, compared to 4% of the total number of hospitals. In 2021 there were 965 public hospitals in the United States, compared to 5,198 hospitals total.
Repercussions of accumulated uncompensated care
In the U.S., public hospitals receive significant funding from local, state, and/or federal governments. Currently, many urban public hospitals in the U.S. playing the role of safety-net hospitals, which do not turn away the under insured and uninsured, may charge Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurers for the care of patients. Public hospitals, especially in urban areas, have a high concentration of uncompensated care and graduate medical education as compared to all other American hospitals. 23% of emergency care, 63% of burn care and 40% of trauma care are handled by public hospitals in the cities of the United States. Many public hospitals also develop programs for illness prevention with the goal of reducing the cost of care for low-income patients and the hospital, involving Community Health Needs Assessment and identifying and addressing the social, economic, environmental, and individual behavioral determinants of health.
For-profit hospitals were more likely to provide profitable medical services and less likely to provide medical services that were relatively unprofitable. Government or public hospitals were more likely to offer relatively unprofitable medical services. Not-for-profit hospitals often fell in the middle between public and for-profit hospitals in the types of medical services they provided. For-profit hospitals were quicker to respond to changes in profitability of medical services than the other two types of hospitals.
Public hospitals in America are closing at a much faster rate than hospitals overall. The number of public hospitals in major suburbs declined 27% (134 to 98) from 1996 to 2002. Much research has proven the increase in uninsured and Medicaid enrollment entwined to unmet needs for disproportionate share subsidies to be associated with the challenges faced by public hospitals to maintain their financial viability as they compete with the private sector for paying patients. Since the creation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, 15 million of the 48 million previously uninsured receive Medicaid. It is projected that this number will grow to about 33 million by 2018. The provision of good quality ambulatory specialty care for these uninsured and Medicaid enrolled patients has particularly been a challenge for many urban public hospitals. This accounts for many factors ranging from a shortage of specialists who are more likely to practice in the more profitable sectors than in the safety-net, to the lack of clinical space. To overcome this challenge, some public hospitals have adopted disease prevention methods, the increase of specialty providers and clinics, deployment of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in specialty clinics, asynchronous electronic consultations, telehealth, the integration of Primary Care Providers (PCP) in the specialty clinics, and referral by PCP’s to specialists.
Public Hospital across Asia
The 85% Problem: How Chinese Public Hospitals Learned to Self-Finance
After the Cultural Revolution, public healthcare was mandatory and private hospitals became public, state run hospitals. Each person was taken care of by the community, both for their job and for their health. Medicine focused mainly on primary care and basic prevention. The reception structures corresponded to Western dispensaries or hospitals. Because of the welfare state, both hospitals and dispensaries were public. Patients did not pay for the care they receive. However, managers, their families, deserving employees, and other patients received varying levels of care in hospitals. Epidemic prevention posts was set up in 1954 throughout the country and made it possible to eradicate many epidemics. Large-scale vaccination campaigns and the strengthening of medical care in impoverished rural areas made it possible to prevent many diseases. Life expectancy rose from 35 years in 1949 to 65.86 years in 1978.
The 1979 reform of the health system reduced public funding for hospitals from 90% to 15%. Hospitals must be 85% self-financing. As a result, patients have to pay for their health care. Thus, many people can no longer afford to go to hospital for treatment. In 2005, 75% of the rural inhabitants and 45% of the urban inhabitants stated that they could not afford to go to hospital for economic reasons. The abandonment of the countryside and urbanization have resulted in the concentration of 80 percent of medical resources in urban areas. In 2009, health expenditure represented 4.96% of GDP, or 72.1 euros per capita. Public funding represents 24.7% of total health expenditure. In comparison, public funding in the United States is 50% and it is nearly 80% in Japan and European countries.
Since the SARS crisis in 2003, the Chinese authorities have undertaken health system reforms and health insurance revival. In 2006, the objectives of the health reform were defined as:
- Making it easier to get health insurance.
- Improving the provision of quality care.
- Developing community-based care by training general practitioners in particular.
- Monitoring the safety and access to basic medicines.
Modernizing public hospitals.
This reform has received an investment plan worth 850 billion yuan (over 92 billion euros) since 2009. In February 2010, a number of recommendations were made to enhance public hospitals:
- Generalisation of consultation by appointment.
- Less of a prepayment for hospital admission and more of a reimbursement from social security upon discharge.
- Improved claims management.
- Improved efficiency of emergency services.
- Implementation of protocols for the management of certain diseases (cancers, etc.).
- Reduction in length of stay.
- Improved coordination within the hospital.
- Accelerating the computerization of hospitals.
In February 2010, sixteen hospitals in sixteen cities were designated to test this comprehensive reform.
In November 2010, the Council of State Affairs encouraged the development of private institutions to pluralize the offering of care. To this end, it introduced tax and other benefits to encourage compliance with quality standards, laws and regulations. By 2018 one private hospital network had 8,000 hospitals. “Billions of dollars in investments in this network have been made by American financial institutions like Morgan Stanley and Sequoia Capital.” According to the World Health Organization, in 2014, total expenditure on health in China reached 5.5% of GDP, i.e. $731 per capita.
Doctor Shortages and Patient Surges: India’s Public Hospital Challenge
In India, public hospitals (called Government Hospitals) provide health care free at the point of use for any Indian citizen or legal resident. Most of the time, individual states pay for these. However, hospitals funded by the central (federal) government also exist. Dispensaries, peripheral (public) health centers, rural hospitals, district hospitals, and medical college hospitals are all examples of state hospitals, which are managed by the state (local) government. In many states (like Tamil Nadu) the hospital bill is entirely funded by the state government with patient not having to pay anything for treatment. However, other hospitals will charge nominal amounts for admission to special rooms and for medical and surgical consumables. The reliability and approachability of doctors and staff in private hospitals have resulted in preference of people from the public to private health centers. However state owned hospitals in India are known for high patient load.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 4.7% of GDP, i.e. $267 per capita.
Public hospitals are managed by the Union, State, and Local Self Governments. The Union Government administers tertiary and super-specialty hospitals such as AIIMS, state governments manage most public hospitals including district and sub-district hospitals, while Local Self Governments oversee primary and secondary healthcare facilities like PHCs and CHCs, in coordination with state health departments.
Oceania
Down Under’s Public Health Jewel: How Medicare Funds Hospital Care
In Australia, public hospitals are operated and funded by each individual state’s health department. The funding comes from the federal government as well. Services in public hospitals for all Australian citizens and permanent residents are fully subsidized by the federal government’s Medicare Universal Healthcare program. Hospitals in Australia treat all Australian citizens and permanent residents regardless of their age, income, or social status.
Emergency Departments are almost exclusively found in public hospitals. Private hospitals rarely operate emergency departments, and patients treated at these private facilities are billed for care. Some costs, however (pathology, X-ray) may qualify for billing under Medicare.
Where patients hold private health insurance, after initial treatment by a public hospital’s emergency department, the patient has the option of being transferred to a private hospital.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 9.4% of GDP, i.e. $4,357 per capita.
Europe
COVID-19 and the French Public Hospital Wake-Up Call
In France, there are public and private hospitals. Public hospitals are managed by a board of directors and have their own budget. Since there is social insurance for everyone in France, people almost do not have to pay for medical interventions. So, the purpose of public hospital in France is to heal everyone, participate in public health actions, participate in university teaching and research, … It must guarantee equal access for all to health care.
All services provided by public hospitals in France can be grouped in 4 categories:
- Health care.
- Prevention.
- Education and training.
- Research.
- Public hospitals are mainly financed by employee contributions and health insurance, all of which is public money.
Some important laws and reforms made public hospitals what it is nowadays in France :
- 1996 reform : Creation of « regional hospitalization agencies » to plan and control; Inclusion of users representatives on the board of directors.
- 2005 reform : Creation of an executive council; Simplification of the internal organization, highlighting « business areas » with a greater autonomy; Replacement of the budget by a statement of estimates of revenues and expenditures Establishment of procedures in case of financial problems.
- 2009 reform : Modification of the governance of public health care institutions by setting up a director with a board of directors and a supervisory board; No more executive council.
- Organization of the administration: – The Director is the legal representative of the public health care institution. He has important responsibilities and is mainly responsible for the day-to-day management of the hospital, under the supervision of the supervisory board;
The board of directors is chaired by the director. There are between 7 and 9 members. It advises the director and must be consulted on certain decisions.
The supervisory board, with only 9 members, supervises the activity of the institution and adopts certain decisions.
The « Medical Board » is the body representing the medical and pharmaceutical staff of the institution. It is consulted on major projects and conducts evaluations; – The « technical committee » is the body of representing of the non-medical staff.
The « Health, safety and working conditions » committee.
In 2020, with the coronavirus crisis, we can see a health crisis. Indeed, between 2006 and 2016, 64 000 beds had been removed. There was also a « wage freeze » and budgetary constraints. It has been a problem during the coronavirus crisis because public hospitals have been needed more than ever, with not enough beds to cope with the huge number of sick people.
University-affiliated hospital (CHU in French) : It is a public hospital that is working with a university. Their purpose is to teach medicine to students, and to practice research. They have been created in 1958 in France. The creation of university hospital centres has led to the emergence of a mixed hospital and university status for employees (doctors, …).
They are attached to a hospital department and a university department, usually within a research laboratory. Among this staff, there are : professors, university lecturers, doctors, clinic managers, …!
According to the World Health Organization, in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 11.5% of GDP, i.e. $4,508 per capita.
Insuring Care: How Germany’s Public Hospital’s Get Paid
German healthcare system consists of public hospitals (55 percent of total hospitals), voluntary charitable hospitals (38 percent of total hospitals) and private hospitals (7 percent of total hospitals). In Germany, public hospitals are run by local or federal state authorities. These include Germany’s university hospitals. Hospital costs will be taken care of by insurance companies for all people who are covered by public health insurance. Clients who have private insurance, on the other hand, must pay additional fees. Children under 18 years of age do not have to pay any costs.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 11.3% of GDP, i.e. $5,182 per capita.
Italy’s Regional Approach: Public Hospital’s from North to South
In Italy, the health system is organised by the National Health Service (SSN, Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) but the management of the health care system is done at the regional level by Regional Health Agencies working with Local Health Authorities (ASL, Azienda Sanitaria Locale). The SSN provides health coverage that allows access to basic medical care (general medicine, paediatrics, dental care, hospitalization, and some medicines).
According to the World Health Organization, in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 9.2% of GDP, i.e. $3,239 per capita.
There are both public and private hospitals. Hospitals contracted by the SSN allow the patient’s care to be paid for. Italian hospitals are classified into 3 categories according to their specialities and their capacity to handle emergencies:
- Basic hospitals: limited number of specialties, population area between 80,000 and 150,000 inhabitants.
- Level 1 hospitals: high number of specialties, population area between 150,000 and 300,000 inhabitants.
- Level 2 hospitals: high speciality university hospitals and scientific research institutes, population area between 600 000 and 1.2 million inhabitants.
Nordic Model: Norway’s Public Hospitals Run by Four Regional Giants
In Norway, all public hospitals are funded from the national budget and run by four Regional Health Authorities (RHA) owned by the Ministry of Health and Care Services. In addition to the public hospitals, a few privately owned health clinics are operating. The four Regional Health Authorities are: Northern Norway Regional Health Authority, Central Norway Regional Health Authority, Western Norway Regional Health Authority, and Southern and Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority. All citizens are eligible for treatment free of charge in the public hospital system. All citizens are entitled to Free Hospital Choices under The Patients’ Rights Act.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 9.7% of GDP, i.e. $6,347 per capita.
Portugal’s Five Groups: How a Public Hospital is Classified
In Portugal, three systems work together to provide health care. Plans for health insurance, health subsystems, and the National Universal Health Service. The National Universal Health Service is a system for everyone that is paid for by taxes. Adhesion to a health insurance is done through the professional network or voluntarily.
Primary care is provided in public health centres. To receive care in hospital you must have a prescription for a general practitioner except in case of emergency. Hospitals provide secondary and tertiary care as well as emergencies. Portugues hospitals are classified into five groups:
- Group I: Hospitals providing some internal medicine and surgery services and some specialties like oncology, hematology. This is contingent on the type of population and the framework established by the Health System’s Central Administration.
- Group II: Hospitals providing some internal medicine and surgery services and some specialties that are not able in Group I’s hospitals.
- Group III: Hospitals providing all internal medicine and surgery services and all specialties that are not able in Group II’s hospitals.
- Group IV: Hospitals specialized in oncology, internal medicine, rehabilitation, psychiatry and mental health.
The lack of coordination between hospitals and primary care centers and the fact that many people went directly to the emergency room. without going to a general practitioner before, have led to the creation of local health units that include one or more hospitals as well as primary centers. These units were created according to geographical location, the balance of specialties and the availability of emergency services.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2014, total expenditures for health reached $2,690 per person, or 9.5% of GDP.
Universal Access: Spain’s Public Hospital Safety Net
The Spanish public health system is universal: anyone in need of medical care can apply for it, even those who are not affiliated to the Spanish Social Security and who, in case of need, can go to the emergency room for treatment. People without Social Security and without the European Health Insurance Card must pay for health care. The Spanish national healthcare system covers almost every Spanish. It is financed by taxes, so that Spanish do not have to pay directly for it.
Hospital treatment can be provided in different types of hospitals:
- General hospitals from the national health system: they provide care in different specialties (internal medicine, general medicine, paediatrics, radiology, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, etc.).
- Regional hospitals: they provide tertiary treatment or very specialized care which require advanced technologies. They are situated in metropolitan areas. – National reference centres specialized in specific pathologies.
Private hospitals under contract.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 9.0% of GDP, i.e. $2,966 per capita.
The Build-Operate-Transfer Model: Turkey’s City Hospitals
In Turkey, there are many different kinds of public hospitals that are owned or run by different people: – State hospitals (Devlet Hastanesi), teaching/training and research hospitals (Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi) are owned and operated by the Ministry of Health. Staffing is done by the ministry, except in training hospitals where both the affiliated university staff and ministry healthcare personnel serves together. All training hospitals are either affiliated with the University of Health Sciences or any other public university which had concluded an affiliation agreement with a training hospital.
- City hospitals (Şehir Hastanesi) are operated by private entities under build-operate-transfer contracts, and healthcare organization is done in essentially the same way as training hospitals.
- University hospitals (Üniversite Hastanesi), officially Health Application and Research Centers (Sağlık Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi (SUAM)), are owned and operated by universities. Any new permits for founding new university hospitals are not granted for public medical schools founded on or after 2010, however dental schools can still be granted one for dentistry. Affiliated training hospitals with such medical schools are sometimes called a university hospital, owing to the term’s ambiguity.
- Eşrefpaşa Hospital is the only surviving example of municipal hospitals (Belediye Hastanesi), owned and operated by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.
- In the past, there were other classifications of public hospitals; such as Social Insurance Institution hospitals (SSK Hastanesi) or colloquially known as “workers’ hospital” (işçi hastanesi).
- Some of the former military hospitals are re-designated as training hospitals or additional buildings for existing public hospitals and were fully handed over to the ministry. Currently, only Gülhane Training and Research Hospital serves both for the public and substantial military purposes.
The NHS Legacy: Britain’s Public Hospital System at 75
In the United Kingdom, public hospitals provide health care free at the point of use for the patient, excluding outpatient prescriptions. Private health care is used by less than 8 percent of the population. The UK system is known as the National Health Service (NHS) and has been funded from general taxation since 1948.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2014, total expenditure on health reached 9.1% of GDP, i.e. $3,377 per capita.
The Salary Gap: What Zambian Public Hospital Doctors Earn
“In the main hospital” in Lusaka, Zambia “a surgeon makes about $24,000 a year;” by comparison, “the median salary of a surgeon in New Jersey is $216,000.”
BCAE General FAQ
Having experienced declining enrollments and increasing cancellations, we know this is the right time to re-envision our organization. We did not reach this decision lightly and know that may be a difficult change for many who have helped to make the BCAE a venerable Boston institution. We look forward to this planning process and will be keeping you apprised as we create new and exciting ways to build on BCAE’s 86 year legacy.
After much careful thought, the BCAE Board of Directors has decided to cease educational and special event programming at the end of December 2019.
Room rentals will be run through January 17, 2020.
We are undergoing a strategic planning process to assess our options on how to best position the organization for the future. In the course of this planning process, we will be drawing on the insights of many of you who have been involved in BCAE’s programs through the years. We look forward to keeping you apprised of these ongoing and exciting developments related to the transformation of the BCAE. If you are interested in sharing your ideas with TDC, please use the following link.
The Board of Directors began this process during the summer with a thorough search for the right partner to facilitate a thoughtful process. The Board has engaged TDC, a highly regarded consulting firm, to lead the strategic planning over the next several months. TDC has been committed to supporting nonprofit organizations for nearly fifty years. The strategic plan will be the result of a concentrated and careful collaboration between various BCAE stakeholders like you who know our organization best and have been invested in adult education for years. We will keep stakeholders informed of our progress and any developments.
No, while the fraud had a significant impact on the resources of BCAE, this decision is based on major changes in the overall adult education environment and the fact that over the years, we have seen an increase in operating deficits due to declining enrollments and increased cancellations. The Board takes seriously its fiduciary responsibility to be prudent stewards of BCAE assets and it became clear that we had reached the point that our current programming was not sustainable.
We believe that BCAE has an important mission and that with careful thought and attention through a strategic planning process, we will create a new way of using our resources to strengthen adult education for diverse populations across the City of Boston.
The evolving adult education environment has created unforeseen challenges to our traditional programs. Over recent years, we have seen an increase in operating deficits due to declining enrollments and increased cancellations. The Board takes seriously its fiduciary responsibility to be prudent stewards of BCAE assets and it has become clear that we have reached a point that is not sustainable. Given these developments and after much careful thought, we are transforming our approach and the use of our institutional resources so that we can most effectively enhance the lives of adult learners and expand their capacity to be successful in their communities.
Our staff have been the heart and soul of BCAE programming and operations. They have provided inspiration and skilled coordination for endless details year in and out. The BCAE Board of Directors is grateful for their dedication as well as their guidance as we prepare for this transition. As BCAE winds down its current operations, our program and building work force will necessarily be affected. Staff will be leaving BCAE at different intervals based on the tasks that need to be accomplished in the process of transition. The details of this downsizing will be informed by the nature of BCAE’s plans going forward with most staff having left by the end of January. The Board of Directors is committed to doing its very best to demonstrate its appreciation and to support these staff through their transitions as they move to new opportunities.
BCAE’s instructors brought inspired teaching to our students. Our teachers are both knowledgeable and passionate about their areas of expertise and we all benefited from their willingness to share these. BCAE will be helping instructors who are interested to network to other community adult education programs.
Additional updates will be posted to the BCAE website. We look forward to keeping you apprised on these ongoing and exciting developments for the transformation of the BCAE.
The BCAE expects to be open normal business hours through December 21, 2019. Please check the site at a later time for hours in January 2020.
All classes planned through December 2019 will be offered per our normal operating procedures.
Yes, the BCAE will be processing refunds as outlined in our updated refund policy through the end of our programming in December 2019.
As of October 3, 2019, the BCAE will stop selling memberships. We encourage you to use your membership benefits through December 2019. In early January, if your membership began in July 2019 or after, we will send you an email asking if you would like a refund for the pro-rated remainder of your membership. You may also opt to contribute this amount to support BCAE’s future adult education initiatives. Membership refunds will be processed in January 2020. (Please note: Any membership that has been active for 6 or more months as of 12/31/2019 will not be refunded.)
As of October 3, 2019, the BCAE will stop issuing credits. If your class cancels, you will be refunded (see our updated refund policy). If you have an existing credit, we encourage you use it to register for classes through December 2019. We will be notifying students of outstanding credit by October 18, 2019.
In January 2020, the BCAE will again notify all students who have outstanding credits on their account via email. At that time, you will have the option to fill out a form requesting a refund of the credit by check or electing to contribute your credit to the BCAE’s future adult education initiatives. Checks will be processed by February 28, 2020.
As of October 3, 2019, the BCAE will stop issuing gift cards. If you have a remaining value on a gift card, we encourage you to use it to register for classes through December 2019. To check balances on gift cards, add a class to your cart and enter your gift card code number into the coupon box and hit “Apply coupon.”
If you have remaining value on your gift card that you would like refunded, please submit a request form. This may take up to 8 weeks to process. You may also choose to contribute the remaining balance toward the BCAE’s future initiatives for adult education.
If no communication is received by January 31, 2020, the gift card balance will be contributed to the BCAE’s future adult education initiatives.
Are there alternative providers of adult education in Boston?
Yes! Please consider taking a look at Brookline Adult and Community Education, the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, and Newton Community Education.
Who do I contact with further questions?
Please submit inquiries here.