Maryland’s low income patients to receive free hospital care
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
May 13, 2009
Hospitals in Maryland will have to use new methodology in determining which patients receive free care, reports The Baltimore Sun. A bill signed into law last week allows patients whose income is at or below 1.5 times the national poverty level to receive free care from hospitals. The bill will take effect June 1 and requires state regulators to monitor hospitals to ensure that patients are receiving the right level of free or discounted care. Also included in the bill is the prohibition of hospitals charging interest on hospital bills for patients prior to a court judgment.
Hospitals are supposed to use multiple methods to inform patients that if they are of a certain income level there are financial options available to them to help pay for healthcare. Hospitals in violation of the new bill could face a fine of up to $50,000 per violation.
