charity care

43K Patients in California Could Get Refunds, Bill Corrections As Part of Discounted Care Settlement

Santa Clara Valley Healthcare in California has begun notifying 43,000 patients about their eligibility for billing corrections and refunds. The system’s patient outreach effort is a result of a recently settled lawsuit filed against Santa Clara County. In the complaint, former patients alleged the county did not inform them about its hospitals' charity care and discount payment policies, leading them to have to pay large bills.

By Katie Adams

Health Tech

Tax Breaks Far Outweigh Community Spending at Most Nonprofit Hospitals

A new report from Lown Institute examined the finances of 1,773 private nonprofit hospitals across the U.S. For more than three-quarters of these hospitals, their spending on charity care and community investment was less than the money they received in tax breaks in 2020. These combined deficits totaled $14.2 billion, which is enough money to relieve 18 million Americans’ medical debt or prevent 600 at-risk rural hospitals from closing, according to the report.

By Katie Adams

With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?

Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.

Hospitals, Policy

Despite tax breaks, nonprofit hospitals spend less on charity care than for-profits

Nonprofit hospitals get substantial tax subsidies with the expectation that they will provide higher levels of charity care to needy patients. But these hospitals spend less on charity care than their for-profit counterparts, a new analysis shows.

By Anuja Vaidya

Hospitals

Hospitals rethink charity care for low-income patients who pass on Obamacare coverage

As more Americans gain insurance under the federal health law, hospitals are rethinking their charity programs, with some scaling back help for those who could have signed up for coverage but didn’t. The move is prompted by concerns that offering free or discounted care to low-income uninsured patients might dissuade them from getting government-subsidized coverage. […]

By Julie Appleby

MedCity News eNewsletter

Medicaid expansion has some free healthcare clinics reassessing their business strategies

WHEELING, W.Va. – Without insurance, Pam Milliken relied for years on the free health clinic here to help manage her arthritis, high blood pressure and diabetes. When she needed to have her gallbladder removed, the clinic, located in a former State Farm Insurance building, found her a specialist and hospital willing to do the surgery […]

By Phil Galewitz

Hospitals

Who’s the real cash cow? Pharma, hospitals at odds over drug discount program

A federal program designed to allow certain safety net hospitals and clinics to save money on drug purchases is under fire from critics who say the facilities are using that money to pad profits rather than help patients. The 340B drug pricing program lets thousands of hospitals, community health centers and family planning clinics buy outpatient prescription medications […]

By Mary Agnes Carey

Hospitals

ACA spells more patients, more insurance, more revenue for major safety-net hospitals

At Seattle’s largest safety-net hospital, the proportion of uninsured patients fell from 12 percent last year to an unprecedented low of 2 percent this spring—a drop expected to boost Harborview Medical Center’s revenue by $20 million this year. The share of uninsured patients was cut roughly in half this year at two other major safety […]

By Phil Galewitz

Health IT

Telemedicine in Haiti: This nonprofit wants to crowdfund more than $20K in 2 days to keep it going

LifePaths Global Alliance operates a free medical clinic in rural Haiti, which is still dealing with the blow the earthquake dealt the country more than three years ago. Now, this nonprofit is trying to raise C$20,000 in less than 72 hours on Indiegogo to keep telemedicine at the clinic, transforming care in a country […]

By Lindsey Alexander