Epilepsy Talk

Hospitals Criticized For Keeping Quiet On Charity Care… | March 28, 2025

According to The Washington Post, more than half of nonprofit medical centers do not tell uninsured and under-insured patients that they could be eligible for free or discounted care before attempting to collect unpaid bills from them, citing a University of Michigan study.

Researchers at the school’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, reviewed the tax returns of 1,800 nonprofit hospitals to assess compliance with the Affordable Care Act.

The requirements include having written policies on who can get discounted care and notifying such patients about their eligibility.

According to another study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, only 42 percent of hospitals tell patients about charity care options before seeking payment from them.

One in five hospitals were reporting indebted patients to credit agencies, placing liens on their properties, or garnishing wages.  https://www.philanthropy.com/article/Many-Hospitals-Keeping-Quiet/234213

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