Friday, November 20, 2009
Bad Deal on Hospital Bad Debt
The Maryland House Health and Government Operations Committee received a briefing Tuesday on a report that will make it more difficult for hospitals to collect charges for services and likely increase the amount of uncompensated care passed on to full pay patients and employers. Staff of the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) reviewed the recommendations of an HSCRC Workgroup that met this summer to provide more uniform policies for financial assistance and debt collection among Maryland hospitals. While representatives of the Maryland Chamber and several hospitals provided advisory input to the study, the report recommends:
- Free hospital care for families with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level;
- Reduced price care for families with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level;
- Limiting charges to 25% of family income for families up to 500% of the federal poverty level;
- Limitation on the ability of hospitals to execute a lien on a primary residence; and
- Extensive additional reporting by hospitals on debt collection policies.
Some of the recommendations will require additional legislation at the 2010 session. See the report here (pdf).
Contact Ron Wineholt for further information at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
