The state of Illinois is considering a bill that would set limits on what hospitals would be allowed to charge and collect from eligible uninsured patients. Under the terms of the bill, which was passed by the state House and is expected to pass the Senate, hospitals could charge no more than 135 percent of the costs for medically necessary care for eligible patients. To meet the criteria, the patient would have to be a state resident and make no more than six times the federal poverty level, or half of that in rural or critical-access regions. For patients who met these conditions, the hospital would be prohibited from collecting more than 25 percent of a patient's income each year unless he or she had assets exceeding the income levels in the eligibility guidelines.
To learn more about the bill:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)
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