Dive Brief:
- Hoping to convince them to buy insurance through the health insurance exchanges or get covered by Medicaid, some hospitals are cutting back on their charity care offerings for uninsured patients.
- According to the New York Times, many providers seem intent on rolling back charity care for patients earning between 200% and 400% of poverty level, whom they believe should be required to sign up.
- What's more, not-for-profit hospitals are increasingly demanding copayments from indigent patients.
Dive Insight:
Though hospitals may hope that they can nudge patients to obtain insurance, that's easier said than done. Premiums for health exchange policies remain out of reach for many in the 200% to 400% of poverty income bracket, and with Medicaid expansion blocked in many states, they can't obtain coverage that way either. This growing cut back in charity care concerns patient advocates, who argue that these efforts will discourage those in lower income bracket from obtaining care.