In a letter this week, the AHA and other groups urged leaders of key congressional committees to permanently extend two provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that help nonprofit hospitals and other tax-exempt entities access capital. The provisions allow banks to write off some of the costs of buying and holding tax-exempt bonds. "We believe that extending these benefits beyond 2010 will ensure that small governmental issuers and certain 501(c)(3) organizations delivering health care, education and other vital services retain access to critical capital," the National Association of Bond Lawyers said in a memo attached to the letter.