Here's one way to cover trauma care: give over a portion of the fines paid by the aggressive and impaired drivers who cause many trauma cases. That's what they're doing in Texas, which is doling out a $16.1 million fund to reimburse trauma providers for care to the uninsured. The amount of money shared by the state can be substantial, though it's not enough to cover the hospitals' expenses.
For example, the state's Department of State Health Services has set plans to give $1 million to University Health System. University Health's University Hospital, which operates a Level 1 Trauma Center, spent $12.2 million giving charity care to trauma patients last year, and has gotten back a total of about $3.1 million to date.
To learn more about the program:
- read this San Antonio Business Journal piece