Cleveland Clinic to cut charity care for some

[ChromeFoundry]

Last Updated: 15 hours and 36 minutes ago


CLEVELAND - Tough economic times are forcing the Cleveland Clinic to cut charity care for some patients.

All Northeast Ohio Clinic facilities will stop routinely accepting uninsured patients who can't pay for treatments, aren't eligible for government assistance and who live more than 150 miles away from Cleveland, The Plain Dealer reported.

Clinic spokeswoman Eileen Sheil said the changes will apply to people who earn between 250 to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. (A family of four that makes $88,200 a year is at 400 percent of the federal poverty level.) Those who earn less are eligible for other aid and those who are more are expected to pay.

The Clinic will treat some cash-strapped patients who live more than 150 miles away in rare cases, but only after a referral, Sheil told The Plain Dealer.

The changes will go into effect Jan. 1.

The Clinic also plans to ask insured patients how they will pay for care not covered by their insurance — before they undergo a procedure.

Sheil said the percentage of insured patients who don't pay their share of their bills has risen from 43 percent to 50 percent in the past few years. That's due in part to employees having to pay for larger portions of their health care costs.

"It's a huge loss to the Clinic," Sheil said, "and the burden should not fall on the hospital."

More: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/health/Cleveland-Clinic-Cuts

[Deep13]

1. You know what will fix this? Tax cuts for the rich.

:grr:

[valerief]

3. I understand tax cuts for the rich cures cancer and lowers crime, too. nt

[Deep13]

5. All praise the holy Tax Cuts for the Rich. Amen. nt

[ck4829]

2. But we cut taxes and the charities are supposed to take over, remember?

What happened to that?

[valerief]

4. Oh, you're soooooooo non-profit! Those days are OVAH!!!! nt

[OhioChick]

6. Get rid of their "non-profit" status....

Cleveland Clinic buildings are everywhere, in many cities. The Cleveland Clinic has been draining cities for years now. Time to start paying their fair share.

[w8liftinglady]

7. well,Parkland would be SOL if they tried that

Operating beds 672
Annual Admissions 55,079
Average Patient Stay Adult - 4.8 days
Neonatal - 22.6 days
Annual Emergency Room Visits 108,707
Annual Clinic Visits 983,820
Uncompensated care provided annually $523.4 million*

*Self-pay patients have no identified third-party payor source and do not qualify for the Parkland HEALTHplus program.

**Charity patients are Dallas County residents who qualify for Parkland HEALTHplus program or other charitable payer sources.


Community programs
Adult Alcohol & Drug program
AIDS Education Training Center
Camp I-Thonka-Chi for children with burns
Community Oriented Primary Care health centers
Dallas Healthy Start
Epilepsy Outreach
Homeless Outreach Medical Services
Injury Prevention Center of Greater Dallas
MomMobile
North Texas Poison Center
Nurse Line
Parkland Community Health Plan
Senior Falls Program
Victim Intervention Program/Crisis Recovery Center
Youth & Family health centers at Dallas ISD and Carrollton/Farmers Branch ISD schools