Report: Washington hospitals stingy with charity care, with language barrier an issue
The CLS report reinforces Fergusons claims about faulty charity care. Hospitals make it hard for some patients to get assistance by not following the laws eligibility requirements. And theyre billing patients, sometimes aggressively, for care that should be free or discounted, according to the report.
I hope the industry is paying attention to this, Ferguson said of his lawsuit.
The industry definitely is, and has been for a while, said Cassie Sauer, president of the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA).
Its evident in a new one-page application, available in multiple languages, that 91 of the states 99 hospitals have agreed to use for charity care, she said.
The hospital association has also convened focus groups to better understand what obstacles patients see. Its certainly ongoing work, Sauer said.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/report-washington-hospitals-stingy-with-charity-care-with-language-barrier-an-issue/