SB 201

Abstract

Hospitals; financial assistance; payment plans. Requires hospitals to make reasonable efforts to screen every uninsured patient, defined in the bill, to determine whether the individual is eligible for medical assistance pursuant to the state plan for medical assistance or for financial assistance under the hospital's financial assistance policy and to inform every uninsured patient who receives services at the hospital and who is determined to be eligible for assistance under the hospital's financial assistance policy of the option to enter into a payment plan with the hospital. The bill also prohibits hospitals from engaging in extraordinary collection actions to recover a debt for medical services against any patient unless the hospital has made all reasonable efforts to determine whether the patient qualifies for medical assistance pursuant to the state plan for medical assistance or is eligible for financial assistance under the hospital's financial assistance policy and requires hospitals to annually report data and information regarding the amount of charity care, discounted care, and financial assistance provided under the hospital's financial assistance policy and the amount of uncollected bad debt. This bill incorporates SB 245 and is identical to HB 1071.

Hospitals; financial assistance; payment plans. Requires hospitals to screen every uninsured patient, defined in the bill, to determine the patient's household income and whether the individual is eligible for financial assistance under the hospital's financial assistance plan; requires every hospital to make a payment plan available for every uninsured patient who is determined to be eligible for financial assistance pursuant to the hospital's financial assistance plan; prohibits hospitals from engaging in extraordinary collection actions against an uninsured patient who owes a debt for medical services or the estate of a deceased person; and requires hospitals to report data and information regarding charity care, discounted care, and financial assistance provided under the hospital's financial assistance policy. This bill incorporates SB 245.

Hospitals; financial assistance; payment plans. Requires hospitals to screen every uninsured patient, defined inthe bill, to determine the patient's household income and whetherthe individual is eligible for financial assistance under the hospital'sfinancial assistance plan; provides that no hospital shall requireany uninsured patient who is eligible for financial assistance underthe hospital's financial assistance plan and determined to have ahousehold income that is less than or equal to 200 percent of the federal poverty level to pay any amount for emergency medical care;requires every hospital to make a payment plan available for everyuninsured patient who is determined to be eligible for financialassistance pursuant to the hospital's financial assistance plan andcaps such payment at four percent of the patient's monthly householdincome; prohibits hospitals from engaging in extraordinary collection actions against an uninsured patient who owes a debt for medicalservices or the estate of a deceased person; and requires hospitalsto report data and information regarding charity care, discountedcare, and financial assistance provided under the hospital's financialassistance policy to the nonprofit organization with which the Departmentof Health has entered into a contract for the compilation, storage,analysis, and evaluation of data.