The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a Catholic medical center is not a charitable business and must pay property tax. The court ruled 3-2 that the original 2002 decision was correct, and that Provena Covenant Medical center in Urbana, Ill., didn't show enough evidence to support tax-exempt status.

Because non-profit hospitals and churches provide such a service and help to communities, many states and churches have waived taxes for these outlets in the past. So when the Provena case came to light, many non-profit hospitals around the country watched closely for an outcome, worried that many states would start taxing these organizations.

However, some government officials have begun cracking down on some of these institutions when it seems the work is more commercial and less beneficial. The Illinois Supreme Court cited Provena's underwhelming level of charity care work in the past, saying that just a few hundred patients received reduced rates out of the hundreds of thousands in their care.