Maryland House Passes Bill To Guarantee No-Cost Hospital Care to Low-Income, Uninsured State Residents
The Maryland House of Delegates on Saturday unanimously approved a bill that would guarantee uninsured patients with incomes up to 150% of the federal poverty level no-cost care at state hospitals, the Baltimore Sun reports. The legislation comes in response to a Sun series that found hospitals in the state lacked uniform standards and practices for providing no-cost or reduced-cost care.
Under the bill, Maryland hospitals would be required to develop a financial assistance policy for uninsured and underinsured patients. The legislation would prohibit hospitals from charging interest on unpaid bills before creditors obtain a court judgment, and it would require hospitals to provide people referenced on hospital bills with information about financial assistance. The bill also would require hospitals to train staff to help patients understand hospital billing and apply for government-sponsored health care programs. A companion bill in the state Senate is awaiting action.
Nancy Fiedler -- a spokesperson for the Maryland Hospital Association, which supports the bill -- said, "The vast majority of hospitals have been following these guidelines," adding, "Hospitals are committed to helping people qualify for whatever assistance they can qualify for, and to doing the best they can by them in terms of billing practices" (Smitherman, Baltimore Sun, 3/29).
