Posted on 05/26/2014 5:36:13 PM PDT by Seizethecarp
Hospital systems around the country have started scaling back financial assistance for lower- and middle-income people without health insurance, hoping to push them into signing up for coverage through the new online marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act.
The trend is troubling to advocates for the uninsured, who say raising fees will inevitably cause some to skip care rather than buy insurance that they consider unaffordable. Though the number of hospitals tightening access to free or discounted care appears limited so far, many say they are considering doing so, and experts predict that stricter policies will become increasingly common.
Driving the new policies is the cost of charity care, which is partly covered by government but remains a burden for many hospitals. The new law also reduces federal aid to hospitals that treat large numbers of poor and uninsured people, creating an additional pressure on some to restrict charity care.
In St. Louis, Barnes-Jewish Hospital has started charging co-payments to uninsured patients, no matter how poor they are. The Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua no longer provides free care for most uninsured patients who are above the federal poverty line — $11,670 for an individual. And in Burlington, Vt., Fletcher Allen Health Care has reduced financial aid for uninsured patients who earn between twice and four times the poverty level.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
What? Free is not free?
Pay more, get less. That’s the government motto.
The law of unintended consequences will bite you in the ass every time.
“We had to destroy the healthcare system to save it”
Obama is a thorough going son of perdition.
“The trend is troubling to advocates for the uninsured, who say raising fees will inevitably cause some to skip care rather than buy insurance that they consider unaffordable.”
“they consider unaffordable”???? How about IS unaffordable. Along with the increase in premiums and deductibles to the 22 percent inflation rate of groceries, and $3.60+ per gallon gas . . . it IS unaffordable for many.
A bug, or a feature?
“The trend is troubling to advocates for the uninsured, who say raising fees will inevitably cause some to skip care rather than buy insurance that they consider unaffordable.”
These ungrateful fools obviously don’t know what’s good for ‘em!
As planned! Before OC, everyone received health care even if they had no insurance. Our system provided care regardless of ability to pay. (And before Medicare, our healthcare system was mostly charity based, but I digress.) This fact did lead to some inefficiencies in the system, but people were provided care. Now, it appears all people are being forced to pay into the system to receive healthcare. How soon before we all have to pay the government for other basic needs.
some of these young people are diabetic, using drugs, get cellulitis and then osteomylitis and need extensvie and expensive antibiotic treatment, all the while swearing at you and being beligerant like you OWE them something....
and the meth users are the worse....completely out of control....cry babies in one instant and a cursing arrogant ingrate the next....this is who we are paying for...
They don't want average people deciding where to put their own charitable givings; that would be racist and unfair to some. The Left would rather have that money handed over to the government, where the Left can decide how to spend it.
-PJ
“How soon before we all have to pay the government for other basic needs.”
Extortion-Care forced.....is the Government Work-Camp: Arbeitsziehungslager
Arbeitsziehungslager, the Government Work-Camp.
Well said.
“Driving away faith-based charities, whether it be soup kitchens or medical clinics, has been a goal of the Left for years. They don’t want average people deciding where to put their own charitable givings; that would be racist and unfair to some. The Left would rather have that money handed over to the government, where the Left can decide how to spend it.”
Absolutely; these cuts in “charity care” have already forced many emergency rooms to close here in NJ (as well as in CA) due to the required treatment of illegals. The hospitals have to treat them, then get shrinking reimbursement from the state for the care. My town lost its hospital in that manner; Newark NJ and NYC hospitals are facing the same pressures. It is unsustainable, and Rep. Joe “You Lie!” Wilson was right about ObamaCare covering illegals.
Oh, it's "free" but you have to register with the gestapo to receive your "fair ration".
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