Posted on 04/01/2006 11:07:54 AM PST by MRMEAN
ALBANY, N.Y., March 31 (UPI) -- New York legislators have imposed limits on how much the states' hospitals can charge low-income, uninsured patients.
According to a report Friday in Long Island Newsday, the new state budget contains provisions whereby patients with annual incomes at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level would be charged "a nominal payment amount."
The new fee limits further stipulate that, for patients with incomes between 100 percent and 250 percent of the federal poverty level, hospitals would use a sliding fee scale, while for patients at between 250 percent and 300 percent of the federal poverty level, hospitals would not be allowed to charge more than what the largest group insurer -- for example Medicaid -- pays the hospital, the report said.
The rules also prohibit New York hospitals from forcing the sale of a person's home to pay for medical bills and from using a collection agency if the person has filed for financial aid.
Hospitals also would be required to make charity care policies clear to patients and to report the number of patients who have filed for financial aid, as well as the hospitals' costs of providing the care.
"This is a very big breakthrough," New York Assembly Member Pete Grannis said in the report. Grannis noted that, without the fee caps, low-income, uninsured patients "could be charged two, three, five times as much as someone with Medicaid."
The lawmakers predicted that New York Gov. George Pataki would likely go along with the new limits, the report said.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
from each, according to his abilities.
If you are uninsured, you are still well cared for, but you are billed 5x.
How is this just?
I don't know of another system where the poor are billed 5x as much for the same service.
Welcome to NYCS. New York, Communist State.
I shudder to think that not only does Florida have waves of Canadians coming here for treatment, and I understand that very well, but next it will be New Yorkers coming here as more hospitals and clinics close there.
Maybe Pa & NJ will take up the slack.
If you present to the ER and are unable to pay, they cannot refuse you treatment.
Way to shut down more hospitals...
"Legislators" should just pass a law that bans
inequality,poverty,bigotry,bad breath,bad hair,violence,dog turds,zits,PMS,Oprah,Rudeness,Bad Mannners,fast food that doesn't look anything like the picture on the menu,ugly people,hollywood,idiots,death,sickness,islam,global warming,trade deficits,elevator muzak,nagging spouses,faucets that drip drip drip drip,toilets that run,appliances that break,cars that burn gas,flatulence,old women who wear waaaaaaaaay too much perfume,cannibals,those annoying little insects known as gnats,HANGOVERS,any liquor other than Tequila,cottage cheese thighs,fake boobs,telemarketers,stale bread when all you wanted was a damn sandwich,sharpie markers in the hands of 4 year old boys,toilet paper that just either lacks tensile strength or absorbancy,insanity,sharp boogers that refuse to be picked out and cause discomfort for HOURS,overdraft fees,frat boys,"reality" tv,parking meters,kids who refuse to clean their rooms,HUUUUUUUUGE women in denim...
Then everything would be just peachy, courtesy of absolute government encroachment into EVERYTHING.
Evidence?
Where's your evidence?
PA is losing doctors because they can't afford the malpractice insurance they need
That is the key provision right there.
LOL.
Oh boy! Price controls! Don't you just love it when politicians try to regulate supply and demand?
Right now it is the people who are being treated that are going bankrupt. Medical bills are the leading cause in bankruptcies.
The poor are NOT billed 5x as much.....if they cannot pay it, they will pay MUCH less....even my Accountant has only Catastrophic insurance, and negotiates for a lesser cost.
So if the "poor" pay nothing, and the State pays next to nothing, and the Feds pay 20% below cost, where's all the money going to come from?
No, just a fairness.
According to NY law, they cannot refuse treatment.
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