How do hospitals determine who is eligible to receive charity care?
If a patient meets Federal Poverty Guidelines, he or she will receive charity care (free care). However, many area hospitals offer free or discounted care for patients with incomes that exceed Federal Poverty Guidelines. How do hospitals work with low-income individuals who incur hospital charges or may have an outstanding hospital bill but are not eligible to receive uncompensated care? Area hospitals offer several options to assist low-income patients in paying for care, including low-interest or zero-interest loans, prompt pay discounts and extended payment plans. Hospitals also work with patients to enroll them in Medicaid or similar government-sponsored programs. As mentioned above, some hospitals are able to offer free care for patients with incomes above federal poverty guidelines, and discounted care for others. In addition, hospitals have in recent years implemented new financial aid forms and new billing and collections policies to make it easier for patients to gain assistan
