Cook County, Ill., Hospitals Charge Uninsured More for Care, Report Says

Cook County, Ill.-area hospitals "routinely charge" uninsured patients more for treatment than they charge privately insured patients, according to a report to be released this week by the Service Employees International Union, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The report examines data from Cook County residents discharged from area hospitals in 2001, finding that the "worst perpetrator" of "discriminatory pricing" is Advocate Health Care system, which serves the greatest percentage of uninsured, the Sun-Times reports. According to the report, uninsured patients at Advocate were charged on average of $13,854 for inpatient services, compared with $5,805 for people with a "typical insurance discount," the Sun-Times reports. The report recommends that Advocate stop charging uninsured patients more than insured patients, and that other hospitals in Cook County follow suit. "Our position is this is a morally upside-down practice. Hospitals are charging those who have the least the most for their health care. It should be stopped," Joseph Geevarghese, director of the SEIU Hospital Accountability Project, said. However, Dr. Gregory Morris, senior vice president for strategy and business development at Advocate, said, "This isn't an Advocate issue. It's true for every hospital. ... The law dictates that we bill a certain way." Morris added that Advocate offers discounts ranging between 50% and 100% to people who have income of less than four times the national poverty level, and that Advocate provided about $183.7 million in charity care last year, including debt that was not collected from the uninsured (Chicago Sun-Times, 5/26). The report is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this report.